DERA GHAZI KHAN: The most busy intersection of the district -- Sangam Chowk -- where roads coming from all the four provinces meet, will be widened for construction of separate lanes for a smooth flow of inter-provincial as well as local traffic.

As per officials, for the widening of Sangam Chowk illegal structures illegal structures built by encroaching upon state land were being removed while the shops in the project area were being purchased.

They said after widening of the busy intersection, separate lanes would be built for inter-provincial traffic and the local traffic so that the vehicles entering or leaving the city did not disrupt the flow of mostly heavy vehicles plying between provinces to avoid jams and congestions.

The locals had been demanding construction of a flyover at Sangam Chowk so that smooth flow of inter-provincial traffic could be ensured without creating any hurdle to local traffic.

Commissioner Naseem Sadiq told Dawn that shops which were creating hurdle in construction of widening of the intersection had already been purchased by the government, besides removal of encroachments. This would facilitate construction of different lanes for smooth flow of local as well as inter-provincial traffic at the busy intersection, he added.

He said another intersection -- Chowk Pyareywali -- had also been widened to streamline the flow of heavy as well as lite traffic passing through the district. He said de-silting of Manika Canal was underway and added that recreational spots would be established along both its banks for the children.

The commissioner said process was on for construction of northern and southern bypasses of he city for early completion of the project.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2020