KARACHI, Jan 16: Sharea Orangi and Sharea Qaddafi, the two major roads of the sprawling Orangi township which were to be rebuilt under the long-life project a decade back are in such a pathetic state that a number of buses and mini-buses have stopped using them.

These roads had almost become unmotorable about a decade ago, and due to neglect their condition continues to deteriorate with the passage of time.

Both the roads have developed deep potholes and sharp-edged gravels have surfaced at a number of places, causing sufferings to people.

“Several heart patients and pregnant women have lost their lives as they could not reach hospitals in time, besides a number of families had to shift to some other localities owing to poor condition of roads,” claimed a councillor of an affected union council of the township.

Though plan for construction of both the roads, with seven other main thoroughfares of the city, was initiated in 1997-98 by the then city mayor, Dr Farooq Sattar, the fate of Orangi’s main roads still hangs in the balance.

While work on seven roads of the project was taken up in different phases under the long-life project of the defunct KMC, the successors of Dr Sattar hampered work on the roads.

The roads which were part of the long-life project and have already been constructed with American Astho technology include Shaheed-i-Millat Road, Sharea Ibne Sina, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Mehran Highway, a portion of Nishtar Road (from Zoological Garden to Lasbella Chowk), Shah Waliullah Road, Bahadur Yar Jung Road (from Gurumandir to Holy Family Hospital).

The buses and mini-buses, which have stopped plying in the township owing to poor condition of these roads include buses of routes 1-L, 1-K, 1-G and Mubarak Coach.

With the withdrawal of coaches and buses, the residents of different parts of the town, have no choice but to travel on rooftops of buses and mini-buses, the number of which was also declining as transporters cannot bear the cost of damages.

Owing to poor condition of the roads, a population of about 700,000 and 800,000 in five UCs (5, 6, 7, 9 and 10) out of 13 union councils continues to suffer.

A councillor of UC-9, Aftab Ahmed, said the condition of both the roads had deteriorated to such an extent that jerks caused to vehicles had even claimed several lives.

He pointed out that those who lost their lives while being rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital included heart patients and pregnant women.

Shahnaz Parveen, a Nazim in the same union council, claimed that the inordinate delay in the construction work had even compelled a number of people to shift to some other localities.

Highlighting the problems being faced by the residents of the affected union councils, Naib Nazim of UC-9, Amin Baloch, said rickshaw and taxi drivers either refuse to take passengers to Orangi Town or charge double fares.

Similarly, whenever there is an emergency, residents of the affected union councils face immense difficulties in calling ambulance from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital as an ambulance takes one- and-a-half hour to reach their localities from the hospital owing to poor state of the road.

Expressing similar views, Nazimeen of other UCs No 5, 6, 7 and 10, Raees Kazmi, Shakeel Ahmed, Aftab Danish, Qari Hussain, said it seems that the residents of Orangi were being extended a mother-step treatment as all their appeals in this regard have gone on deaf ears.

They said now it has to be seen now whether the city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan or the MNA-elect from Orangi, Abdul Qadir Khanzada, would take an interest in getting the roads constructed because both of them during their recent visits to Orangi in connection with by-election on NA-242, have seen the poor condition of the roads and had made a commitment to rebuild these roads without any further delay.