Rawalpindi residents enduring bumpy streets

The residents of various areas of the city are facing many problems due to caved-in, pothole-ridden streets. The state of the streets has been bad for a long time and they have no option but to endure bumpy rides whenever they come out of their localities.

Every year the Chaklala Cantonment Board and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board allocate millions of rupees for the repair and reconstruction of streets, but there is no sign of repair work. Bakra Mandi, Harley Street, Peoples Colony, Dhoke Syedan, and Tahli Mohri verify their negligence.

The drain covers are missing in many places. Open manhole in front of Town Medical Clinic on the service road of Faisal Avenue is inviting any untoward incident as anyone can easily fall into it. The level of the open drain and the road is almost the same. After dark, it becomes a more serious issue for the nearby inhabitants. Due to the bad shape of the road, they avoid going out for a walk after dark.

Syed Kirmani says “The drains in areas like Jamia Masjid, Tipu Road, Sadiqabad, Dhingi Kohi. Dhoke Hassu, Dhoke Ratta, and Kashmiri Bazaar tell the truth of callousness by the concerned authority. Some manholes covered with bushes and dry horticulture waste make the situation even more dangerous.

“He appealed to the civic bodies to make the open drain properly covered soon. I do not understand why they do not take it seriously and clean it properly. They should do it as soon as possible.”

Shabbir Hasan, a merchandises supplier says “Uncovered drains or broken drain covers in Kohati Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Raja Zafarul Haq Street, Circular Street, have become a nightmare for commuters as well as for pedestrians. It is very dangerous as there is no streetlight as well.”

“With most drains in Ratta Amral Street, Kashmiri Bazaar Street, Liaquat Street, Jinnah Street, Ganjmandi Street, and Ghaznavi Street, not being cleaned for a year or more now, are full of silt and garbage sure to spread diseases,” adds Shabbir.

Mohib Ali from Chaklala Scheme III says, “At several places, footpaths located in posh localities and in front of several high-rises are over drains and slabs placed on them. Many slabs over the drains are missing exposing pedestrians to imminent danger.”

Khursheed Rizvi says, “Many portions of Bohar Bazaar, Iqbal Road have caved in. It is nothing short of a roller coaster ride for commuters driving on such parts of the streets. They have become unsafe to travel and giving nightmares to commuters because of potholes.”

The monsoon comes with many challenges as the situation of streets in Asghar Mall, Saidpur, Pirwadhai, Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, and Gawalmandi areas becomes worse and the water inside the potholes makes it more difficult for the commuters to discover the depth of the potholes.