Rawalpindi: Rains render 60% cantonment roads unserviceable

[Naveed Yaseen]

* RCB, CCB ignore public complaints
* Residents say their problems are being ignored

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI: Monsoon rains have exposed the sorry state of affairs at Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Chaklala Contentment Board (CCB) as roads in cantonment areas looked run-down.

Approximately, 60 percent of cantonment roads and streets are in a shambles. Motorists have nightmarish experience traveling on waterlogged and dilapidated roads.

RCB repaired only Kumhar Road during last year, for which Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani provided Rs 16.2 million to local MNA.

CCB repaired only a few roads in Chaklala Scheme-III and New Lalazar, ignoring complaints of residents of other areas.

Broken roads include Adiala Road, Jhanda Chichi, Civil Lines, Lalazar Road, slip road from Chota Bazaar to Bank Road, Hospital Road, Lalkurti, Tariqabad, Transit Camp Road, Allahabad Road, Siham Road, Zakria Mosque Road, Bakery Chowk, Misrial Road, Barafkhana Road, Tench Bhatta Road, Dheri Hasanabad, Talhi Mori, Ch Bostan Khan Road, Garibabad Road, Dhoke Munshi, Dhoke Hafiz etc.

Potholes on these roads have turned into huge ditches increasing risks of accidents. Opened manholes in the middle of these roads are another threat to human life.

Motorists try to avoid these roads but the area people could not do so and are left with no option but to bear with them. Even public transporters face difficulty and cabbies refuse to go to these areas.

Residents said the authorities concerned collected taxes but did not do development. “I don’t understand why our problems are not being taken seriously,” Muhammad Suleman, of Adiala Road, said.

Akram Subhani, of Saddar, said he was living in a cantonment area but failed to enjoy civic facilities. He said dilapidated roads, choked drains and overflowing gutters were a common feature of cantonment areas. He said RCB officials did not entertain public complaints.

Muhammad Qammar, of Westridge-III, said rains had washed up flaws in construction of roads in the area.

Officials of cantonment boards admitted that situation of roads was going from bad to worse, adding they were planning a number of projects to solve civic problems.

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