NAROWAL: The main road of the Shakargarh city gets submerged by rainwater and sewage during rains due to the faulty drainage system. The issue has been lingering on for the last two years as the administration as well as public representatives allegedly ignore the frequent requests for resolution to the issue by the citizens and traders.

Due to frequent inundation, the road, from Shakargarh-Norkot road, the main artery of the city gets submerged has become bumpy at places, especially near Antuvali, where sewage has been accumulating on it since long.

The lawyers on Saturday boycotted the courts in protest over the faulty drainage sewerage system that causes the issue.

The Tehsil Bar Association Shakargarh protested against the assistant commissioner, administrator municipal committee and EXEN roads for their inability to resolve the drainage issue and no lawyer appeared in the courts.

Lawyers hold strike over the issue

Talking to Dawn, the citizens, Faroz Din and Muhammad Qamar, say everyone has to pass through the stagnant water to enter and leave the city. They say new drivers and private vehicles using the road would often get stuck in the dirty water, adding that an ambulance carrying a heart patient got stuck in two-foot deep dirty water in Antuvali the other day.

He says the local people pushed the ambulance out and the patient was shifted to another ambulance to be sent to hospital.

Muhammad Afzal of the Municipal Committee Shakargarh says three pumps are working day and night to drain the rainwater from the road. He says the roads department is neglecting its responsibility as the road needs to be built to permanently resolve the issue.

Shakargarh SDO Road Khalid Mahmood says the tender for the construction of the road has been issued and the file is with the higher authorities for approval. He claims that the work would start as soon as the project gets approval.

Assistant Commissioner Maria Javed terms the issue of road construction very old, saying that the municipal administration has constructed a nullah for sewage. She says if the highways department constructs a 500-meter road in Antuvali, the basic problem of the citizens will be resolved.

Ms Javed adds that several meetings have been held with the roads department and it is hoped that the construction will start within a few weeks.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2022