Muhammad Faisal Kaleem

Unfavorable weather conditions have led to prolonged delays in the rehabilitation of a stretch of the Indus Highway in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a document available with Wealth Pakistan. It states that National Highway Authority (NHA) had launched partial rehabilitation and construction of some patches of N-55 in Ramak area in 2024 at a cost of Rs708.6 million.

As per the initial contract, the project was supposed to be completed by December 2024.  However, according to the document, only 20% of the work has been completed so far. The document reads that the continuous rainfall in the project area during July, August and September 2025 caused significant disruptions, delaying or halting construction activities.

“These adverse weather conditions have created a hazardous working environment, severely impacting productivity and posing risks to the overall quality of the project. Prolonged exposure to excessive rainfall has delayed critical tasks, while standing water has made conditions slippery and unsafe, compromising worker safety,” reads the document.

Moreover, the sugarcane crushing season from November to March is another reason for unintentional delays in the project. The N-55 is a single carriageway with a width of 7.3 meters. Three sugar mills are located in the project area. During the crushing season, thousands of tractor-trolleys travel on the road, making it impossible for the contractor to continue construction work.

Meanwhile, an official privy to the matter expressed optimism that the government was working on ways to ensure the project’s early completion. He said that some high-level meetings were also held to identify bottlenecks and devise practical solutions to streamline the process.

The official said that newly-appointed NHA chief Asadullah Khan has been exploring some technological interventions, improving coordination among departments and enhancing monitoring mechanisms to ensure timely execution of the road rehabilitation project.

Credit: INP-WealthPk