SUKKUR, April 6 Civic facilities have plummeted to their lowest level as the number of problems, including traffic jams, congestion, encroachments and disposal of amenity land at throw-away price are adding to miseries of the residents.

As per details collected by this correspondent, more than Rs6 billion was reimbursed to Sukkur district government in two tenures i.e., 2001-2005 and 2005-2009 but achievements remained invisible and highly deplorable as was remarked by the Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and Senator Islamuddin Shaikh.

Drainage and water supply project was initiated in 2006 with the federal grant of Rs700 million but work was going at snail's pace making it impossible to finish in next two years. However, the first phase began along the airport road where residences of politicians and influential people like Khursheed Ahmed Shah are situated and the work was completed on emergency after PPP came into power.

That part of the project was almost done but more than 70 per of the work cent in city was still gapping for conclusion, while health issues cropping up because of heavy dust which hovers around from morning till late in the night.

Mere cosmetic approach after rains of summer and winter resulted in washing away the patch work completed after heavy payments.

The Clock Tower roundabout, Station Road, Shahid Bazaar, Freer Road, Queens Road were worst passages as zigzag movements of push-carts, donkey-carts and wheel-barrows make it next to impossible even for pedestrians while the district government and talk municipal administration officials making hollow promises.

Fine dust particles were giving rise to allergy cases as reported by laboratory tests, analysts, and hospitals. Similarly, water supply from river and canals was being pumped with drainage water and supplied untreated to people since last 25 years. Claims by district government for setting up a treatment plant had not seen the light of the day even after the passage of eight years.

The 45-year-old problem of cattle pans remains there despite the raising of a big cattle colony outside the city. The colony was completed at a cost of Rs 25 millions with allotment letters given to owners last year by former Sindh chief minister Dr Arab Ghulam Rahim.

Similarly, the entire city was dug up for laying underground drainage without taking into consideration the whims of contractors who for months stop work for lack of funds.

However, talk government was generous in awarding permission to builders and contractors for building 10 to 12 storey residential and commercial plazas thus putting the civic structure at stake.

There are no building laws because of the absence of Town Planning Department and the recent collapse of four storey building killing seven people should be an eye-opener for authorities.