KARACHI: Commuters may have a sigh of relief after over two years as the dilapidated Jahangir Road connecting Liaquatabad and Guru Mandir is being revamped.

Since the road falls within the territorial jurisdiction of the federal government, it was first constructed by the Pakistan Works Department (PWD) during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in 2020. However, the PWD did not taken care of sewerage and storm water drain along the road due to which the main artery was completely damaged in a short span of few weeks after its construction.

In view of widespread complaints of the people of Karachi, Administrator Murtaza Wahab undertook the project and laid a new drainage system.

He told Dawn that he had spoken to the PWD for the reconstruction of the road, but they asked for the construction of the storm water drain and restoration of sewerage system before its construction.

He said that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation constructed a drain at the cost of over Rs50 million that would take the sewage from Jahangir Road to Soldier Bazaar Nullah.

The administrator said that the road was being carpeted jointly by the KMC and Karachi Development Authority (KDA).

He recalled that political opponents and public criticised the KMC for the dilapidated condition of the road, though it was constructed by PWD which might have used substandard material in the construction.

He said that the area MNA had obtained funds from the federal government for its construction. “The road was completely damaged shortly after its construction due to sewage as the PWD had not taken any no-objection certificate from the KMC, KDA and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board,” he said.

The administrator said that he was himself monitoring the work on the road, which would be motorable within the next two days.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2022