RAHIM YAR KHAN: After an announcement of closure of crushing season during the current month by sugar mills along the Shahi Road, motorists are facing traffic blockades due to heavy load of tractor trolleys carrying cane.

There are two sugar mills on Shahi Road which originates from Rahim Yar Khan and connects with N-5 at Channi Goth via Khanpur and Liaqatpur tehsils covering a stretch of around 110km.

Chaudhary Sugar Mills (CSM) is located near Kotsamaba town while Hamza Sugar Mills (HSM) is based at Jetha Bhutta town.

When mills are about to conclude the crushing season, their administrations issue maximum permits to the farmers which resulted in heavy load of sugarcane tractor trolleys on the road, causing traffic jams.

A long queue of tractor trolleys parked on Shahi Road between Kotsamaba and Sahja towns wait for days to enter the CSM. Parked trolleys leave little space for buses, cars and vans overtake other vehicles.

The administration of CSM is dumping ash waste of the mills along the bank of the Abasin canal near Chak 86-P area, a constant environmental threat.

According to locals, the district administration, traffic police, Pera, Punjab Highway Department and Environment Protection Department do not bother about the issue because the CSM is owned by powerful people.

Similarly, long queues of loaded tractor trolleys can be seen parked on Shahi Road between Chak 4-P and Feroza town despite HSM has its own separate parking road at Jetha Bhutta.

On Thursday night there was a major traffic jam for many hours in which Rescue vehicles and ambulances got stuck. The motorists alleged that there were no traffic police to regulate traffic.

Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Traffic Muhammad Sajid says that he has appointed four traffic police employees, two each at both the mills who were performing duties day and night in rotation to regulate traffic.

He said that his department with Pera has registered many FIRs against the tractor trolley drivers who park illegally on Shahi Road.

Sajid further said in official meetings with district administration, he always suggest the sugar mills to develop their own parking lots but to no avail.

He also wrote letters to CSM and HSM for traffic plan because their own parking roads were insufficient.

Khanpur Assistant Commissioner Afzal Sukhera promised to give official response to the issue but did not reply.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026