KARACHI, Nov 22: Both the major roads of Orangi Township - Sharah-i-Orangi and Manghopir Road - are in a dilapidated condition since long, and work is either suspended or is progressing at a snail's pace , causing hardships to motorists and passers by.

Shahrah-i-Orangi starts from Qasba More and ends at Sector 14 (Orangi) while Manghopir Road begins from Banaras Chowk and ends at Madinatul Hikmat and both the roads are being built by the city district government.

Commuters are the worst sufferers because a number of public transport vehicles, including mini-buses and coaches, have either been withdrawn from some long distanced routes of the township or they avoid going towards sectors 11 1/2 and 14 and Madinatul Hikmat as both the roads have developed craters.

Besides, the buses of Route 25 (from Korangi to Orangi) allotted under the Urban Transport Scheme are reluctant to ply buses on the route as there are one to two feet deep ditches on the Shahrah.

A councillor of Orangi Town's Union Council No 9, Aftab Alam said that the Shahrah-i-Orangi was included among six other Long-Life Roads during the tenure of Dr Farooq Sattar. But it is still facing devastation.

He said that drivers of ambulances usually avoid taking patients to hospital in case of emergency, besides rickshaw and taxis charge exorbitant fares. Meanwhile, residents of Manghopir Road said that although the City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, during his recent visit to Manghopir Road, had directed the officials concerned to remove all sorts of hindrances to expedite work on the road, work on it is still suspended. Construction of 2000 Road in full swing

CONSTRUCTION WORK: The construction work on long-neglected 2000 Road connecting Nagan Chowrangi to Godhra Camp is in full swing and over 50 per cent work has been completed on the double track road, adds PPI.