KABUL(BNA): In a briefing on the achievements of the past year, the Ministry of Public Works outlined its major activities, accomplishments, and future plans to the media.
In a meeting held at the Government Information and Media Center, Technical Deputy Minister of Public Works, Mawlawi Abdul Karim Fateh, announced that the Ministry had commenced major repair and reconstruction projects on the country’s major roads and highways. In the fiscal year 1402, contracts were awarded for the renovation of approximately 1,000 kilometers of roads.
Mawlawi Fateh further detailed that last year, the Ministry conducted preliminary surveys for over 604 kilometers of road, topographical surveys for 321.65 kilometers, observational surveys for 977.4 kilometers, and technical surveys for 27 bridges. Additionally, designs for 279.48 kilometers of road, 160-meter bridges, and repairs for four other bridges were completed.
He noted that the Kabul-Kandahar highway, which was divided into seven sections last year for major reconstruction, has now been divided into 13 sections this year for more efficient progress. The project includes the repair and reconstruction of over 1,700 culverts and 48 large bridges.
The Technical Deputy Minister also reported that the Ministry had initiated 109 maintenance and monitoring projects last fiscal year, with 85 projects completed and work ongoing on the remaining 24. Approximately 1,700 kilometers of asphalt roads have been repaired and resurfaced.
Meanwhile, Spokesman Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas shared key achievements of the Ministry, stating that 468 maintenance projects were completed in the past year, providing direct employment to over 15,000 individuals and indirect employment to tens of thousands more.
He added that, in the fiscal year 1402, about 1.4 million metric tons of cargo were transported via four railway ports (Hairatan, Aqina, Turghundi, and Khaf-Herat), compared to approximately 6.4 million metric tons in the fiscal year 1401.
He also revealed the Ministry’s plan to build 75 mosques along major roads, each on three acres of land and capable of accommodating 300 male and female worshippers simultaneously, in accordance with the directive of esteemed Supreme Leader.
Notably, the Ministry’s key plans for the current fiscal year (1403) include the reconstruction of the Kabul-Jalalabad second lane road, a 30-kilometer road contract with the private sector for the Herat-Chisht Sharif second phase, a 151-kilometer road contract for the third, fourth, and fifth phases of the Afghanistan Ring Road (Qaisar-Laman), and completing detailed designs for several major roads.
Bakhtar
