Rawalpindi roads or hazard points

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

“Being a supplier of merchandise I have to visit many markets like Kashmiri Bazaar, Bohar Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Kohati Bazaar, etc. Uncovered drains or broken drain covers there pose a nightmare for me as well as for pedestrians especially when there is no streetlight as well,” says Naseer Zaidi.

“This year’s monsoon came with many challenges as the situation of roads became worse and the water filled inside the potholes made it more difficult for the commuters to discover the depth of the potholes,” says Muzaffar Hasan.

“Many portions of city roads have caved in due to negligence of the city authorities. It is nothing short of a roller coaster ride for commuters driving on such parts of the roads. They have become unsafe for people to travel,” says Mureed Hussain.

“I saw a drain cover put upside down in Mangral Town. With most drains not been cleaned for a year or more now, most of these are full of silt and garbage too. It can bring lots of in-borne diseases,” says Shabbir Reza.

“The drain covers are dangerously missing adjacent to a footpath near an auto workshop on the service road of Faisal Avenue. There is one more open manhole in front of a medical clinic. It is inviting any untoward incident as anyone can easily fall into it,” says Haider Imam.

“The level of the open drains and the roads is almost the same in many areas. After dark, it becomes a more serious issue for the nearby inhabitants. Due to such bad shape of the roads with open drains, they avoid going out for a walk after dark,” says Munir Naqvi.

“The drains are telling the truth of callousness by the concerned authority. Some manholes have been covered with bushes and dry horticulture waste, making the situation even more dangerous,” says Binte Fatima.

“I appeal to the civic bodies to make the open drains 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,” adds Binte Fatima.Every year the Chaklala Cantonment Board and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board allocate millions of rupees for the repair and reconstruction of roads, but there is no sign of repair work.