RAWALPINDI: Encroachments by auto-workshop owners on main roads in Saddar have not only created traffic gridlocks but are also security threats in the commercial-cum-residential area.

But the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has failed to clear the roads.

The workshop owners encroach the roads by placing old engines and other spare-parts on the road.

The 40-foot-wide Adamjee Road from Hatti Chowk to Railway Road and Ahata Mithu Khan has shrunk to 10 feet, causing hardship to the motorists and even pedestrians.

The Chotta Bazaar is situated in the middle of residential and commercial areas of Saddar. The encroachments on the roads in and around this bazaar, including Cantonment Police Station Road, Maulvi Mohammad Hussain Road, Teen Bazaar, Chik Bazaar, Babu Mohallah and Kashmir Road, have exposed the inefficiency of the civic agency.

The residents of the thickly-populated area have to use these roads but the constant traffic jams hampered their movement.

Noise and air pollution, especially smoke-emitting vehicles in the workshops, have created another headache for the residents.

Special Branch wants the roads cleared before the start of Muharram

The main road from Hatti Chowk to Railway Road also houses a Bohra community Jamatkhana, an Imambargah and a Church. Besides the Shia community, the Bohras also take out a procession in Muharram.

A large number of Afghan nationals living in the area also pose a threat to the security of the residents.

The Special Branch of the police in a report sent to the Punjab government expressed concerns over the encroachments on the main roads and said it could create security problems in Muharram.

It said the RCB anti-encroachment staff never visited the area for the last one year to remove the encroachments.

On the other hand, the local residents have been facing problems while commuting on these roads.

“Many Afghan nationals are selling used and new engines on the roadsides. The presence of Afghans in the area has also created problems for the local workshop owners,” said Khalid Mehmood, who lives near the Jamatkhana.

He said the Afghans resided in groups and frequently quarreled with the local people.

He said most of the women living in the area did not go to the bazaars due to the hurdles on the roads.

Mohammad Shahzad, a resident of Chik Bazaar, said he even could not find a space to park his vehicle outside his house due to the presence of auto-workshops and other vendors.

“Workers in the workshops repair vehicles on the main roads leaving no space for the residents to move around,” he said.

“Encroachments have shrunk the road from 40 feet to 10 feet and during rush hour from 11am to 5pm, it is totally blocked. The workshop owners display old engines and spare parts on the main road,” said Mohammad Nasir.

He said students, especially girls, also faced difficulty in reaching their educational institutions due to traffic jams on the road. He said the RCB and traffic police were equally responsible for the mess.

Liaquat Hussain, a resident of Ahata Fazal Ellahi, alleged that the anti-encroachment staff received bribe from the workshop owners and allowed them to continue their business.

“The RCB officials are increasing property tax and water charges and making all policies without visiting the places. There is a dire need to set up a local government system in the cantonment areas to resolve the public issues,” he said.

When contacted, RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Fahim Zafar Khan told Dawn that an anti-encroachment drive had been going on in the area for about two months. However, he said the workshop owners again displayed engines on the main roads once the anti-encroachment staff left.

“We removed 90 per cent of the encroachments from the area and never allowed the workshop owners to display their goods on the roads.

“The residents had been asked to inform the RCB in case they saw any illegal activity to help the civic body remove the encroachments,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 29th , 2014