SHANGLA: Four telephone exchanges affected by flash floods in different tehsils of Shangla district have been lying closed for a decade, creating problems for the local people.
A main tower of the telephone exchange had collapsed during heavy rain while floods had affected its poles and cables in 2010 and since then the services remain suspended.
Engineer Taj Akbar, a local resident, said that about 300 consumers were enjoying the PTCL facilities in Kabalgram before the floods disrupted the services.
“We have raised the issue with the authorities concerned of PTCL many times, but to no avail,” he said.
Ali Bahadar Khan of tehsil headquarters Martung said that during heavy rain and flash floods in 2010 cables of the exchange were damaged and the main tower fell down due to which they were still without the facilities.
“Martung is the only tehsil where PTCL exchanges are closed for long and no one takes action to restore them,” he regretted.
Habibullah Khan, district councillor from Makhozi tehsil, said that his area’s telephone exchange was lying closed for long and the consumers’ phone sets were silent.
He said that optical fibre cable was need of the hour for the area so that they could also enjoy the PTCL services.
Kishwar Ali, a resident of Malakkhel Kotkay, said that their telephone exchange had been out of order for the last many years.
When contacted, Shahid Mahmood, PTCL executive vice-president, business zone north, said that the exchanges were closed a few years ago as they were not financially viable due to limited customers availing internet services in that area.
