PESHAWAR, Dec 5: The sewerage system in the heart of the old city area has collapsed and, as a result, the sewage has inundated the Circular Road, causing great hardships for thousands of commuters and pedestrians but the elected representatives are least bothered to replace the pipeline.

The city government has started work on the removal of encroachment on both sides the road from Ramdas to Nishtarabad but due to delay in pace of work it further multiplied the civic problems, especially near the Yakatuth Chowk, where the dust of dug-up roads has forced shopkeepers and those working in other offices to inhale it.

This is the only road in the city which connects Yakatuth, Kohati Gate, Lahori Gate, Nishtarabad and Dabgari with Saddar and Bara.

During a visit to the area it was observed that due to sewage on the road the people were facing serious problems while crossing the road.

The pipelines on both sides of the road were open to the road which also damaged the remaining parts of the thoroughfare.

It was observed that the sewage coming in an open drain was supposed to move in a pipeline which was unable to carry, at least, ten times more swage. The pipeline needs to be replaced.

A family park at Gorgatri Tehsil, fire station, a number of schools, police station, many shops, medical stores and offices are situated on the road.The residents of Hussainabad, Shaikhabad, Ganj, Kohati Gate and Lahori Gate are suffering round the clock due to the problem.

A shopkeeper, Shahid Mughal, told Dawn that it was a long awaited problem, but officials concerned were paying no attention towards it.

The grave of former President of Pakistan Yahya Khan, he said, was situated closed to the choked sewerage line, but even this no government functionary ever bothered to solve the problem.

He said the existing six inch pipeline was laid about 25 year ago for a single residence which was being used by hundreds of residents of the Darakhshan Colony and Zahidabad.

An employee of a fuel filling station, Naeem Khan, said the problem was very chronic, but it took serious turn when the outlets were closed due to the work on removal of encroachment.

City Nazim Haji Ghulam Ali, when contacted, said that the problem was in jurisdiction of the Town-1 and was not concern to him.

The nazim of Town-1, Haji Shaukat Ali, told Dawn that he did not know the problem, but he said he would take action for its solution.