Pipeline work resumes

SUKKUR: The government has started work again on a Rs470-million sewerage pipeline network after five years.

The project started in 2006 and was scheduled to be completed within a year but as with most projects it fell to the wayside. In the meantime, most of the roads were ruined because of the delay and Royal Road is almost inaccessible. “I have to use this road to get to my shop, but it is filled with pits and nearly ruined,” complained Zahoor Ahmed, a medical shop owner. “The smell is so bad that I cannot sit at the shop and customers avoid coming here.”

Residents also complained about traffic jams and accidents, which are daily occurrences. “Vehicles get stuck on these roads and once a man fell into a pit,” said resident Hafeezullah Baloch. The water pipeline has also broken down at Royal Road, suspending the water supply in the area for the past 20 days.

Public Health Department Sub-engineer Abdul Qadeer Sheikh said that the delay was caused because they did not get the money in time. “The funds were given to us this year,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2011.