THE Gulshan-i-Iqbal area in Karachi, especially the part of it in the vicinity of the University Road, has been facing a lot of serious issues for the last five years after the road was dug out for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project. To say the very least, the project has been an unmitigated disaster, plagued by delays, mismanagement, and a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of the people.

The ill-conceived project has been dragging on for years, with no end in sight. The road has been left in a state of perpetual construction at the proverbial snail’s pace. As if that was not enough, the excavation has caused irreparable damage to the infrastructure, including the recent rupture of water and sewerage lines. This has resulted in a nightmare scenario for the area residents, who are forced to use water mixed with sewage. I am not talking of some remote village in Sindh. This is the largest, ‘most developed’ city of the country.

Despite numerous complaints, the provincial government seems bent on continuing this boondoggle, with no regard for the suffering it is causing. It is unfa-thomable why the city’s infrastructure has been in a state of disrepair when the mayor also happens to be from the party that governs the province.

If the Sindh government cannot complete the project, it must be stopped, and roads must be restored to their original state. Or, as an alternative solution, the project must be handed over to the federal government so that it could be completed in a year or so. Those responsible for this fiasco must be held accountable.

Riaz Ahmad
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2024