KARACHI, Nov 26: The City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, has expressed his utter annoyance at the slow pace of work on the Shahrah-i-Orangi, directing concerned departments to remove bottlenecks in its construction and expedite the pace or work.

He said this during his six-hour long emergency inspection visit to the said road. He was accompanied by the MPA from the said area, Hameedullah Khan, EDO Works and Services, city government Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, EDO Revenue Mohammed Wasim, Deputy Managing Director, Technical Services and Sanitation, KWSB Israr Zaidi, Chief Engineer, Water KWSB Asu Domal, Chief Engineer, Sanitation KWSB Fareed Soomro, Project Manager Orangi Town Section of Tameer-e-Karachi Programme Khuda Bux, UC Nazim Shakeel Ahmed and Coordinator to City Nazim on Works Abid Ilyas.

The nazim was told that encroachments and electricity poles were major hurdles, which once removed could help in accelerating the pace of work. It was hoped that work would be completed in stipulated time.

He was informed that two portions of the road - from Town Municipal Administration Office Orangi to Nishan Hyder Chowk; and from Tori Bangash Chowk to Rais Amrohvi Colony - would be opened for the public in four months.

The under-construction Shahrah-i-Orangi Road from Caltex Pump, Banaras Chowk to Tori Bangash Chowk would have double tracks each of three lanes. Sewerage and storm water drains were being constructed on both sides of the road. The road is being constructed under the TKP at a cost of Rs173.7 million and is scheduled to be completed in 24 months.

Speaking to people in Bijli Nagar, Mr Naimat maintained that he new about Orangi's problems and was making all efforts to resolve them. "The city government will extend all-out cooperation to resolve problems in consultation with the elected representatives," he assured.

Deploring the dilapidated condition of roads in Orangi, Naimat assured the people that measures would be taken to ensure construction of roads from Faqir Colony to Farid Colony, Tori Bangash Chowk to Raja Tanvir Colony, Frontier Morr to Malik Chowk, Malik Chowk to Faqir Colony, and a road in Bijli Nagar by taking members of the national and provincial assemblies into confidence.

MPA Hameedullah Khan on the occasion said that development work had got affected due to the quarrel between the nazim and naib-nazim of Orangi Town. -PPI