KARACHI, Sept 16: A lengthy patch of the only functional lane of Shahrah-i-Pakistan around Ayesha Manzil roundabout is inundated with sewage since Friday last, hampering smooth flow of vehicular traffic and causing problems to motorists and pedestrians.

Shahrah-i-Pakistan is dual carriageway from Ayesha Manzil to Water-Pump and its one flank has been dug up for laying sewerage pipeline since many months, diverting both up and down traffic on the remaining flank.

However, this only functional side of city's most busy road which connects Karachi with Superhighway is further curtailed as an underground sewerage line bursts near Mother-care Hospital in front of Arshi Shopping Centre after every few days, causing long traffic jams around Ayesha Manzil roundabout.

Citizens had to face immense difficulties on Friday and Saturday, Sept 15 and 16 as this section of Shahrah-i-Pakistan continues to remain submerged by filthy water due to burst of the same sewerage line, resulting in long and agonizing traffic jams.

Due to several ongoing development projects, including Liaquatabad Underpass project, Sohrab Goth Flyover and laying of sewerage line at Shahrah-i-Pakistan from Ayesha Manzil to Water Pump, citizens using this road have already been facing difficulties in reaching their destinations.

However, the inundation of an important crisscross from where all the vehicular traffic converges at a single lane has increased difficulties of motorists and pedestrians and vehicles remain stuck at the roundabout, sometimes even for hours.

As Shahrah-i-Pakistan is most preferable road for heavy traffic, including inter-city buses, trucks and trawlers, for entering or going out of the city, the problems for people travelling on the busy road have increased many-fold.

Pedestrians, especially women and children, also face tremendous difficulties at Ayesha Manzil regarding boarding public transport, and they have to cross trenches dug up by the authorities on one of the lane for laying sewerage line and knee-deep pool of filthy water accumulates on the remaining part of artery.

Craters on the road, which emerged after recent monsoon rains were adding to the miseries of motorists and pedestrians. These potholes are now filled with sewage, posing immense danger to both motorists and pedestrians.

Several accidents have so far occurred at the troubled spot near Ayesha Manzil, mostly involving motorcyclists due to deep craters, untraceable due to accumulation of filthy water.

A CDGK official supervising the development work at Ayesha Manzil when approached on Saturday, refused to identify himself but admitted people were facing hardships due to a number of problems at Shahrah-i-Pakistan but claimed work was under way in full swing to make the road functional soon.

He blamed the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KW&SB) for inundation of Ayesha Manzil roundabout, saying they had failed to repair sewerage lines properly, which bursts now and then, slowing the pace of development work on the road.

People living on both sides of the road near Ayesha Manzil as well as businessmen accused CDGK of slackness and ignoring people's miseries, saying unplanned development activities and work in haphazard manner had made their lives miserable.

A furniture trader whose showroom is located at Ayesha Manzil on the closed lane of Shahrah-i-Pakistan said businesses in the area had destroyed for last five-six months as people were not visiting the market due to dug up road, dust, trenches and accumulation of filthy water.

“CDGK is trying to score points by carrying out development activities, simultaneously, all over the city but they had miserly failed to manage them. People are suffering instead of being benefited from these so-called development activities due to their haphazard manner,” he said, without mentioning his name.

Some other citizens, mostly residents of apartments around Ayesha Manzil requested city, provincial and federal authorities to pay heed to their problems and resolve them at the earliest otherwise it could result in initiation of protests and law and order situation in the area.—PPI