March 7, 2003	Friday	Muharram 3, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, March 6: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to maintain roads of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), once considered to be the best in the country.

With non-stop torrential rains in the region, the condition of Islamabad’s roads has worsened and the authority has virtually failed to handle this ever-aggravating problem.

The residents, who had been complaining to the CDA in this regard, told Dawn that the authority had remained indifferent to the poor road conditions in G and I sector series.

They said the once well-maintained roads of the capital were fast deteriorating due to lack of interest of the CDA.

“Some years ago, the roads of Islamabad were in good shape, but, with the passage of time and lack of regular maintenance, they have become bumpy,” they said.

The roads which are in a shambles include Polyclinic Hospital Road, roads in and around G-8 Markaz, the newly constructed Pindora Road, G-9/10 roads, F-10/11 roads, I-8 Double Road, Radio Pakistan Road, Melody Market Road and Margalla Police Station Road.

The condition of roads at a number of squares such as Zero Point, Peshawar Mor, Aabpara Road and I.J. Principal Road is far worse than the others as these are convergence points.

The residents were also of the view that the CDA, primarily responsible for the maintenance of roads, should not have to come up with the so-called excuses, as most of Islamabad’s inhabitants were salaried class and regularly paid their taxes.

Pervaiz Anwar Cheema, the director CDA’s roads directorate- I, said most of the capital’s roads were 25 to 35 years old and needed to be re-carpeted.

Roads have virtually lost the required viscosity and bandage strength, except Jinnah and Constitution avenues, Mr Cheema said.

Therefore, he added, patch work being carried out on the dilapidated roads by the CDA roads’ directorate was not a permanent solution.

He said at present, the CDA’s road directorate was cash- strapped and unable to carry out re-carpeting of the broken roads. He said whatsoever maintenance, so far, done by the directorate remained ineffective due to the continuous spell of torrential rains. He also accepted that maintenance of roads was a technical job which the CDA staff had failed to do so.