GUJRAT: The residents of Pahrianwali, a small town of Mandi Bahauddin district, have begun the repair work of a seven-kilometre-long dilapidated road on a self-help basis, after being disappointed by government officials and area politicians.

As per local sources, the road passing through the town and connecting it with nearby villages, had developed potholes because of lack of repair since long.

The locals had been approaching the administration and political figures for reconstruction or repair of the road, but to no avail.

The sources say, that a local police official, Nadeem, who is a resident of Pahrianwali, had initially started the repair of a portion of the road in front of his house by filling the potholes.

Later, a group of local youths, who run a welfare society, also joined in and started repair work on the the seven-kilometer stretch from Pahrianwali Adda, linking the town with three villages.

The sources says that a sum of Rs2.2 million has so far been spent on the road repair work, adding that the money is being donated by local philanthropists, including a group of expatriates.

They say that an engineer, who is a resident of area and is now a days on leave from his government job, is volunteering and using his expertise for the self-help project.

An official of the welfare society says that a total sum of Rs3 million will be spent on the road repair work.

He claims that the society has earlier got constructed a number of streets and small drains in the town, besides installing streetlights and offering education scholarships to the needy students.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2023