PAKTIKA PROVINCE – The road connecting Sharan and Mata Khan Districts in Paktika Prov., to Zurmat District in Paktya Prov., has been under construction since 2008. However, in the past 2 weeks, Paktika PRT engrs observed a distinct improvement in local business.
A small shop near the road construction in Mata Khan, Jan. 13. Mata Khan District is currently experiencing an economic boost, due to the construction of a road that will eventually connect it with Zurmat District in Paktya Prov. Although the road is not complete, the progress made helps improve the availability of supplies from Sharana, the capital of Paktika. (Photos by AF Senior Airman Ashley Avecilla)
Navy Lt. j.g. Jason Buswell, Paktika PRT project mgr., said that there is more activity and merchandise present in the Mata Khan District Center, because of the new road. “We'd noticed that there was one little shop in particular, that a few weeks ago an ANA soldier had stopped in to get some snacks,” he said. “But, we couldn’t even tell it was a shop.”
A few weeks later, when Buswell and other team members visited the road to do a quality assurance mission, he noticed the same building with customers and merchandise outside, distinguishing the structure as a shop. “This road helps us get our supplies on time,” said Sayed Anwar, a shop owner in Mata Khan. “It’s hard for us. Our economy is very poor in these villages, but it’s getting much better.”
The walls and shelves inside Anwar’s shop are covered with snacks and supplies, while his cousin, Mohammed Anwar, sews scarves for females.
According to Buswell, the road is designed to be 37 kms long. Right now, engrs have completed 26 kms in rough-grade form and more than 10 kms of smooth gravel road. In the spring, the contractor will install asphalt over the prepped gravel road.
For now, the newly-laid gravel road leads up to the cobblestone street that runs through the Mata Khan District Center, leading to a local bazaar consisting of a clinic, pharmacy and shops. “If we have the asphalt road, then we can work on the markets and shops,” said Sayed Anwar. “We can supply more things and business can grow.”
In addition to completing the road surface, engrs are adding culverts, causeways and retaining walls that are critical to project completion. Buswell explained that these concrete and stone masonry structures will produce a lasting, strong road bed that diverts water, which would otherwise cause soil erosion and eventual failure of the road.
“Security issues are the biggest concern,” Buswell said. “But, now that we have ANA out there, we should see better progress.” The ANA took over security of the road in Dec., after the govt began cracking down on private security companies operating in Afghanistan. Members of Paktika PRT who conversed with villagers in Mata Khan, said the consensus is that security is going very well in the district.
“Here in Sharana, in a short period of time, we’ve seen the bazaar really grow because of the roads, and we think this will have the same impact on Mata Khan and into Zurmat,” Buswell said. “This road will also help extend the reach of governance throughout the province and beyond.”
