June 19, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1424

KARACHI, June 18: Main roads in Gulistan-i-Jauhar are in a dilapidated condition and have become dangerous for commuters and vehicles.

Condition of the road near Drive-in is appalling for many weeks and many commuters, especially motorcyclists, have met with accident. But no one seems to be concerned about it.

Hardly a furlong away, work on a new traffic intersection on the Rashid Minhas Road to guide the traffic in and out of the locality is in progress.

However, no official is bothered to get the dangerous potholes filled. These potholes have made the section of the road from the bridge (over the circular railway track) impassable.

In order to avoid the potholes, drivers have no option but to drive their vehicles through the pavements. Due to the heavy movement of traffic, footpaths are also caving in.

In fact, this is not a new phenomenon. The particular area is every now and then inundated by sewage from overflowing gutters, making the bridge unsafe.

No one has addressed the problem created by defective construction of the civic infrastructure and cutting of roads by builders and shop-owners. Driving on the road up to Jauhar Chowrangi would give you a feeling of riding in a hovercraft.

Same is the case with the road that links the locality with University Road near Safari Park on the one end and Pehalwan Goth on the other.

Another menace is the encroachment of footpaths which have been taken over by fruit and fish sellers who grease the palm of the police and other civic officials.

In addition the clogging by ‘yellow devils’ and other public transport means at the entry point is dangerous for the apartment dwellers.

The delay in the construction work on the traffic intersection has further aggravated the situation as the machinery and equipment, as well as other fixtures, have not been removed.