Residents of Badakhshan province complain about the lack of attention paid to road maintenance and asphalt paving, especially in the Argo region.

The road in Argo district of Badakhshan province is located a few kilometers from Faizabad city, connecting the district as well as the districts of Delam and Tashkan to Faizabad and even to the northeastern and central provinces of Afghanistan.

This road is even called Haqlawi Road.

However, Ergo Road has caused a lot of trouble to local residents and merchants passing through it due to its severe damage, narrow width and difficulty in passing.

Safiullah, one of the residents of Ergo district, said that the roads in the district are often closed in winter due to severe damage and lack of asphalt, while in other seasons they cause traffic accidents due to their narrow width.

“The road from the government gate to Vahdat City, the center of Argo District, is 8 kilometers long. It is a continuation of Delem District and Tashkan District. Argo District is the most populous district in Badakhshan Province, with 220 villages. The district has been using this road for many years. During the Republic, it was proposed to be rebuilt many times, but problems still exist among some councillors. Every day, vehicles of all sizes are overturned.

Habibullah, a resident of the Tashkent region, also complained about similar problems. He said that the deterioration of the roads disrupted people’s daily lives and caused many problems in transporting necessities in the Tashkent region:

“Argo and Tashkan districts are the closest to the center of Badakhshan and are among the most populous. The route connects Deleme district to Takhar and Kunduz provinces. Unfortunately, no one paid attention to the construction of this road. Because of the snow, the road was blocked for several days, which was a big problem for patients.”

People in these areas called on the Taliban government to rebuild the roads immediately.

But local Taliban officials in Badakhshan province said they had no money to rebuild the roads and central government officials were indifferent to the issue.

Maulvi Abdul Ghafoor Atid, head of the Taliban’s public works department in Badakhshan province, told RFE/RL:

“We have no development plan in Badakhshan this year. We designed this road in three years and sent it to the centre. They are not even ready to review and allocate funds. It has been ruined,” I asked the people. We came to the governor, but no one has come yet. We are worried.”

This situation not only adds to the daily problems of the local people, but according to some economic experts, it also harms the local business and economy.

One of the experts, Hekmatullah Shahraei, said that asphalt and road reconstruction would help economic growth and reduce prices, but according to him, the deterioration of roads has caused many traders to stop operating in these areas:

“It is true that the road destroyed in Argo, Deram and Tashkan districts of Badakhshan province is one of the most important roads in Badakhshan province. The local government should allocate funds to rebuild this road. Local people, especially patients, are facing a lot of difficulties. Commuting is difficult.”

Two weeks ago, local Taliban officials in Badakhshan province said that nearly 70 people had been killed in traffic accidents in the province in the past five months.