Gulberg residents concerned at unchecked construction

PESHAWAR: Residents of Gulberg locality have expressed concern over unchecked construction and construction material lying on the main road and footpath, making it difficult for thousands of dwellers to drive or walk on the lone road.

The residents appealed Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Director General Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) Syed Zafar Ali Shah to take note of their suffering and make it mandatory for the builders not to throw construction material on the road and footpath.

“I don’t know where is the government, as we have lodged several complaints with the local administration to stop the builders from using the road for the construction purposes but they are yet to come out of hibernation and realise their responsibilities,” said Malik Waqar, a resident of Gulberg. He complained that the local administration was not redressing their genuine complaints as the builders are very influential and allegedly greasing the palms of the government officials. He said it was the third time that the government had spent funds and repaired Gulberg road but the builders again started using it for their construction purposes and would damage it soon. Another resident of Gulberg, Rasheed Ahmad, had similar complaints, saying that students and elderly people were confronting hardships due to closure of the road by the builders.

“Thousands of people are using this lone road and unfortunately for the past several years, influential people have started building high-rise buildings on roadside and they put all their construction material on the road and footpath. They pay the local administration and police and the poor residents have to suffer as nobody is listening to them,” he said.