KARACHI, Sept 11: Major portions of four busy thoroughfares of the city--University Road, New M.A. Jinnah Road, Dadabhoy Nauroji Road and Shahrah-i-Quaideen and a number of internal streets of Muslimabad -- have almost become impassable owing to trenches and deep craters developed on them.
A track of New M A Jinnah Road (from Jail traffic intersection to Islamia Science College) and Dadabhoy Nauroji Road have been ruined due to the frequent movement of tankers drawing water from Rangers manned Muslimabad hydrants, University Road (from Hassan Square to Jail traffic intersection) in the wake of recent rains while a portion of Shahrah-i-Quaideen (from Society Office to Quaid’s Mausoleum roundabout) owing to standing filthy water.
Motorists passing through these roads not only receive heavy jerks but also are being forced to apply sudden breaks to avoid deep potholes and as result of which movement of vehicular traffic on them either comes to standstill or pass at a snail’s pace.
The worst affected people are the motorcyclists and those who travel in small cars and rickshaws as they often complain of backaches and spinal cord problems owing to heavy jerks they receive while passing through these uneven and bartered roads.
People residing in Muslimabad and adjacent localities complained that the tankers fetching water from Muslimabad hydrants have not only caused extensive damage to a track of main M. A. Jinnah Road and Dadabhy Nauroji Road but have also ruined a number of internal streets of the localities.
Expressing their annoyance over the presence of hydrants in residential areas, they demanded of the authorities concerned to immediately shift the hydrants to some other places so that they could heave a sigh of relief.
Similarly, people residing in Lines Area and Khudadad Colony deplored that filthy water which often remained stagnant on main Shahrah-i-Quaideen because of chocked stormwater drain had not only devastated a major portion of the road but was also responsible for the unhygienic conditions prevailing in their localities.
Attributing the cause of devastation of a portion of University Road to the presence of intercity bus terminal, those residing in Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block 14 and Al-Hilal Society complained that on the one hand, traffic jams of longer duration on this portion of the road had become a matter of routine owing to haphazard parking of jumbo-sized up-country bound buses on the road and as well as on the nearby stormwater drain and on the other, their right of using the near footpath had been usurped because owners of intercity buses had established their booking offices on them.
They urge the city nazim to shift the intercity bus terminal outside the limits of the city.
