January 25, 2007	Thursday	Muharram 05, 1428

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RAWALPINDI, Jan 23: Rawalpindi Cantonment has lost its recognition as an area having an enviable sanitation and well-developed roads — thanks to its division into two cantonments.

The bifurcation of the cantonment into Rawalpindi Cantonment Board and Chaklala Cantonment Board was aimed at catering to the increasing population; however, the plan drew a blank compounding the problems of the already suffering people.

Interestingly, Chaklala Cantonment Board does not have its own building and shares its offices with Rawalpindi Cantonment Board. However, the two boards share the revenue generated through taxes.

Both boards lack sufficient funds to build new infrastructure, as a big chunk of revenue goes down the drain by paying power bills to Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) and salaries to the staff. Whatever is left behind is too little to live up to the expectations of the residents. The two boards also survive on the dole granted by the federal government but it is not sufficient to undertake development projects.

The sanitary system is out of joint, as heaps of garbage stinking to high heaven can be seen lying in almost every nook and corner exposing the residents to various diseases. The poor sanitation shows that both the boards are running short of sanitation staff. There are few garbage lifters to cope with this situation.

As far as the roads are concerned, one can hardly find a road in good shape in the entire cantonment area, with the officials concerned paying a blind eye to the entire situation. Being government servants, the officials of the two cantonment boards are unable to pressure the government for funds, says an official.

Absence of political representation in the two cantonment boards has compounded the problems of the people. Zamurad Khan, the only opposition MNA from the cantonment, has no say in the cantonment affairs. Though the ruling PML’s Ejaz-ul Haq won the National Assembly seat from Toba Tek Singh, he is taking no interest in the development of cantonment area being a permanent resident.

Rawalpindi’s Thandi Sarak, better known as The Mall, is no more Thandi Sarak, as all the trees which used to keep the Mall cool in sizzling summers have been sawed off to broaden the road.

However, the widening of the road did not serve the purpose as it can be seen bursting at the seams due to increased traffic. No effort has so far been made to plant new trees. Intriguingly, the Pindi environmentalists remained silent over the cutting of full-grown trees.

For the first time, public transport has been allowed on the Mall; however, violation of traffic laws by the public transporters goes unchecked.

Kashmir Road, formerly known as Dollhouse Road, is a more a parking lot than a road, as it mostly remains encroached by vehicles on both sides. The nearby Haider Road also remains occupied by the public transport, leaving almost no room for the other vehicles to pass through.

Bank Road, formerly known as Edwards Road, has become the leading shopping area in the cantonment lacking sufficient parking space. The available space has been unlawfully occupied by car dealers and shopkeepers causing traffic snarls.

Adamjee Road, Railway Station Road, Police Station Road and almost every street in Babu Mohallah, being the oldest residential area in the cantonment, are notorious for encroachments.

The increasing trend of encroachment has engulfed the entire cantonment area giving it the look of the ever-crowded Raja Bazaar.

Another dilemma is the mushrooming of housing colonies in the cantonment area. According to an official of RCB, these colonies were developed without proper planning. Some of them did not seek the approval of the Cantonment Board due to which the board refused to approve water connections.

The population of Rawalpindi Cantonment has increased from 3,37,752 in 1981 to 6,27,841 in 1998 registering a higher intercensal growth rate of 3.7 per cent compared to Rawalpindi city where population increased from 4,57,091 to 7,81,927 during this period at an average annual growth rate of 3.2 per cent, says the City report on Rawalpindi, published by the Population Census Organization. Since 1998, there has been a rapid growth of population in the cantonment and currently estimated to be over one million.