GUJRAT: The laying of yet another pipeline for the drainage of storm water near the Jail Chowk has become a headache for the motorists in the city as traffic would often get choked on the adjacent arteries due to the digging.

The Rs370m project for drainage of storm water from Jail Chowk to Boley water channel was approved in 2017. However, work was initiated in January 2021. Two different lanes of pipes having capacity of 25 cusecs each were to be laid along both sides of the road but until August last year only a single lane was laid whereas the disposal station near the Usman Plaza was also under construction.

Official sources said the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) had suspended the work reportedly due to the unavailability of the remaining funds of Rs100m whereas laying of the second lane of the pipes was launched a few weeks ago after the district administration took notice of the delay in the project.

The deputy commissioner had written a letter to the secretary of the local government department a couple of months ago seeking an inquiry into the delay of the project as well as the release of remaining funds.

Though work has resumed but the traffic diversions on at least four routes is causing inconvenience for the locals as major educational institutions, including schools, colleges, University of Gujrat and Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital, are located on the said routes.

The traders of Rehman Shaheed Road and Jalalpur Jattan Road have already been criticising the administration’s decision to fill the ditches caused by earlier pipeline with tuff tiles as driving on the said roads has become a daunting task.

Some traders have lodged protests against the slow pace of work as well as the use of tuff tiles on the damaged portion of the roads. Similarly, they say that now the other side of the road is being dug for the second pipeline that could make the route bumpy.

DC Dr Khurram Shahzad says he has tasked Assistant Commissioner Umar Daraz Gondal with inspecting the pace and quality of work on a daily basis to get it completed before June. He adds that all the traders’ concerns about the damaged road due to the digging would be taken care of and the whole road will be reconstructed in the next fiscal year. He says the traffic diversions have been given to keep the traffic moving and traffic police were performing duties there.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2022