Bab-e-Peshawar: Veneer of quality work begins to come off

PESHAWAR: As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government vowed to complete the Bas Rapid Transit (BRT) project in a record six months’ time, its much-trumpeted Bab-e-Peshawar flyover in the provincial capital has developed cracks.

The National Logistic Cell (NLC) had constructed the 2.2 kilometres long flyover at the Phase-III Chowk Hayatabad in a record five months’ time.

The project was completed at a cost of Rs1.72 billion to regulate traffic from Hayatabad, Karkhano market and the adjoining Khyber Agency. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had inaugurated the flyover on January 18, 2016. Among others, PTI chief Imran Khan and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) head Senator Sirajul Haq had also attended the inaugural ceremony of the project. The JI is the junior coalition partner of the PTI in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa coalition government.

It was considered a flagship project of the PTI government and the party took credit for completing it in the minimum possible time.

An employee of the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) told The News that the flyover had developed cracks a few weeks ago. Wishing not to be named, he said that the crevices were growing day by day.

“I noticed the cracks in one of the pillars over three weeks ago and it is growing since then,” he added.

Faisal Khan, a resident of Hayatabad Phase-V, said that the cracks in the flyover were a matter of concern for the motorists using the facility for going in or out of Hayatabad, particularly for vehicles passing over or under the damaged portion.

He said that the cracks were going wider with the passage of time and, God forbid could lead to a horrific traffic tragedy if the matter was not taken seriously and the damaged portion wasn’t repaired. He said that the government should have concentrated on the quality of the development work instead of completing the flyover in a short time for political point-scoring.

Asmat Khan, who works in a shop selling geysers opposite the damaged portion of the flyover, said that he saw the cracks and soon people started coming to see the damaged portion. He said he hasn’t seen any PDA official visiting the flyover to inspect the cracks. He said the material used in the construction work was prepared in a plant in nearby Kacha Garhi and brought in vehicles to the site.

When his comments were sought, Director General PDA Israrul Haq said that they had taken up the issue with the designers of the flyover and asked for examination of the damaged portion through a team of experts.

“A team of experts of the company that had designed the flyover was sent to check the nature of the cracks and assess the danger to the structure,” he added. He said the experts had reached the conclusion that the plaster had developed the cracks and the other structure was still intact, but there was no risk of further damage or collapse of the flyover. “The plaster would be repaired shortly and you would see no wrong with it once it is repaired,” he maintained.