Summary
Content
26/12/05
Recommendation
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Muzaffarabad - Kahori Pool: .Distance from origin: 4 Km (Kahori Pool N 34° 26.302' - E 73° 29.653').
- Dirt road, rough and distorted. Landslides are a major threat. There have been many in the area and after-shocks are likely to cause many more. The walls are steep with big rocks and the paving is severely cracked. The road is narrow and with the exception of certain points allows only one-way traffic; local trucks and buses can create traffic jams.
- There is a bridge in Kahori Pool village, one-way, passable for trucks.
Kahori Pool - Patika. Distance from origin: 8 Km (Patika N 34° 26.737' - E 73° 33.027').
- Dirt road, rough and distorted. Some threat of landslides.
- 1 Km from Kahori Pool there is a bridge with several cracks. It should be for 1 vehicle at a time but there is no police/traffic control. Vehicles cross it daily, including cargo trucks and buses, despite the fact that it appears at risk of collapse in the event of tremors or after-shocks.
Patika - Nauseri. Distance from origin: 23 Km (Nauseri N 34° 23.270' - E 73° 42.997').
- From Patika the road improves. However, the original tarmac has several visible cracks and the road has been narrowed from its original width by earthquake damage and road-clearing works.
- Some pine trees have fallen down on the road and others are at risk of falling in the event of tremors, heavy rain or strong winds.
- At Panjgiran village (N 43° 26.746' - E 73° 37.091'') 5 Km after Patika. 2 Km after Pangiran (Deolian village) the road is a passable bridge (one-way).
- In Daenia village (N 34° 25.985' - E 73° 41.371') 3 Km from Deolian, there is a Pakistan Army base (Pioneers). An American army detachment is visible nearby.
- Nausadda village (N 34° 24.381' - E 73° 42.877') 4 Km from Daenia, the road gets worse (dirt, narrower) in some parts. There is a Bailey bridge (1 vehicle at a time).
- In Nauseri village we passed through the WFP distribution center. After this point the route degenerates into a narrow dirt road, much worse than the first stretch. 2 Km after Nauseri there is a metallic bridge (wooden floor) 15 meters long (approx.) for 1 vehicle at a time.
- The assessment ended 3 Km after Nauseri in Kalas (name obtained from local population) (N 34° 21,351' - E 73° 43.047')
Conclusion
The assessment took 4 hours 50 minutes with a short stop of 20 minutes in Daenia. It was performed on Sunday, on working days it might take longer due to increased traffic in the afternoon. The road is passable over the full distance by 4WD vehicles and improves notably from Patika to Nauseri. Aside from the possibility of landslides and fallen trees, bridges remain a major threat, especially for trucks.
For all corrections, input or queries, please contact UNJLC at Pakistan.roads@unjlc.org