CHAKWAL: Scores of villagers staged a protest on Wednesday evening against what they described as apathy and negligence by the district administration and local parliamentarians after rainwater submerged their standing wheat crops and blocked access to fields due to the closure of culverts on the abandoned Northern Bypass project.

The project, launched at different times by former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, as well as a member of the National Assembly, has remained incomplete for years. Residents of Dhakku and Thanil Fatohi gathered near the forsaken bypass, where a stream carrying water from seven villages was obstructed after culverts were filled with soil, effectively turning the site into a mini dam.

“I cultivated wheat on two acres after ploughing the land several times. A month ago, the crop looked promising, but now it is completely submerged,” said Zahid Ali, a farmer who suffered heavy losses.

Another farmer, Kashif Mehmood, said his crop had also been destroyed. “Who will compensate for our losses at a time of unprecedented price hikes?” he asked.

Haji Javed Ashraf, a notable of Dhakku village, said the government had acquired fertile land for the project but had yet to compensate farmers. “Deputy Commissioner Sara Hayat is doing a good job. We request her to convey our concerns to the chief minister,” he said.

A former official of the Public Works Department (PWD) told Dawn that Rs500 million had been paid to the district administration in 2020 for land acquisition, but farmers had not received any compensation.

The Northern Bypass project was approved on July 16, 2014, to divert heavy traffic from Chakwal city. However, construction did not begin during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure. Later, during the PTI government, the route was altered to connect with Balkassar Interchange, increasing its scope and cost.

Work began on the revised route, with land cleared and base layers laid, but was later abandoned due to a lack of funds.

The situation worsened after the federal government abolished the PWD over allegations of chronic corruption.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2026