RAWALPINDI: The recent rains exposed the performance of civic bodies in the garrison city, as their failure to repair roads after laying sewerage and water supply lines has made it difficult for people to use them during rainy days.
Most of the roads are waterlogged, while a large number have developed potholes due to the indifference of the district administration. Roads in the city have not been repaired for many months.
The broken roads have become bumpy and accident-prone. During the monsoon season, these roads have developed potholes, creating hazards for residents.
Ganjmandi Road, the main road connecting Raja Bazaar with the cantonment areas and Islamabad, has become a death trap for two-wheelers and pedestrians alike. Water is stagnant along most of the 2-kilometre stretch, starting from the bridge over Leh Nullah to Raja Bazaar.
Waterlogging, potholes and delayed repairs trouble motorists and pedestrians
In fact, the situation is worse on roads where construction work for laying water supply and sewerage pipelines is underway. Motorists on these stretches are facing traffic jams, which have become the order of the day in various parts of the city.
Delays in the timely repair of roads and improper construction have led to the situation. The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has to be blamed for the recurring problem.
Motorists find it difficult to drive on city roads due to countless potholes, resulting in traffic snarls at several places. Even public transporters face difficulty driving on these roads, while cabbies refuse to go to downtown areas.
The second most important road is Ch Bostan Khan Road, from Chaklala Scheme-III to the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, and this road has become a nightmare for motorists, especially on rainy days.
The residents of downtown areas are deeply disturbed over the situation. Talking to Dawn, they said the civic authority collected all taxes from them but, in return, provided no facilities.
“Will the government compensate us if our motorcycle is damaged due to the bad condition of the roads?” said Aziz Ahmed, a resident of Akalgarh. He said his motorcycle had developed engine faults due to potholes on Ganjmandi Road and Ghazni Road, adding that it was difficult for middle-class people to spend large amounts on repairing their vehicles.
Muhammad Naseer, a resident of Yousaf Colony, said they were facing numerous problems due to the bad condition of Ch Bostan Khan Road. Travelling on the city roads is time-consuming, but they have no other option, he added.
When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Azizullah Khan said Wasa would launch repair work on Ganjmandi, Jamia Masjid Road and Saidpur Road from Monday, where sewerage and water supply lines had been laid.
He said that due to the rains, it was difficult to repair the roads. He said the sewerage and water supply line work had been completed last month, but the rains started soon afterwards, so the work would begin on Monday (today).
On the other hand, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) failed to repair Ch Bostan Khan Road. “During the construction work of Kutcheri Chowk, it was decided to reconstruct the road in the current fiscal year. But, so far, the Punjab government has not given any grant to the RDA for reconstruction of the road,” said an RDA official.
Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2026
