CHITRAL: Residents of Yakhdeez village in the Khot valley of Torkhow tehsil have urged the government to reconstruct and widen the road leading to their village, which remains cut off for five months during the extended winter season. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, elders of the village including Nasiruddin, Mohammad Murad, Saqib Ali Khan, Saifuddin and others stated that the residents of the village, comprising more than 300 households, faced numerous challenges during the closure period. They mentioned that a jeepable bridge was constructed by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme two years ago. This bridge connected the village to the valley road via a narrow mountainous track, with an average width of barely six feet. They explained that the region on both sides of the bridge was steep and hilly, making the high cost of road widening beyond the financial capacity of the villagers. The villagers noted that although the construction of the bridge and the narrow track on both sides had been carried out by a non-governmental organisation, they had expected the government to take responsibility for its widening. They said that all government facilities, including schools, primary healthcare centres, the grain godown, as well as the market and playground, were situated in the main valley, making it extremely difficult for them to access these facilities during the closure period. The village elders added that children were unable to travel to school, patients and injured individuals could not be transported to the hospital, and food shortages became a major issue during the extended winter season.