Khanpur’s Railway Colony riddled with problems

Authorities deduct money for water supply, but residents do not get a drop in return

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Railway Colony in Khanpur Tehsil has turned into a centre of problems as sewage lines, the water filtration plant, electricity system, hospital and roads are in a dilapidated state. Besides, the heaps of garbage have added to the misery of the local residents. With broken supply lines and a faulty filtration plant, residents are compelled to drink unsafe water.

A visit to the area by Express News revealed that a recently installed water supply line has not been connected to the colony thus far, leaving water on the roads to aggravate an already deplorable situation.

A lot of houses in the area are also in a dilapidated state and without gas raising, thus fingers at the government’s performance.

It so happened that authorities deduct a certain amount from the salaries of the railway for the water supply, but residents do not even get a drop in return. To make matters worse, leaked water could be seen accumulated on roads, not only irking the citizens, but also causing a great amount of damage to the road structure.



Water tanks at filtration plants are also worn out and the water is being wasted. This is coupled with the threat of the total collapse of the water tanks. The building of the water plant is also dysfunctional with little staff to be seen, if any at all.

In addition, burglaries by drug addicts have deprived the building of many fixtures, including gates and windows, while the administration seems to turn a deaf ear to the frequent complaints of citizens. With the sad state of affairs, the railway department is incurring losses to the tune of millions.

Things are also not looking up in terms of the electricity supply of the area. The wires are not capable of handling high loads and are broken in the intense summer, causing the disruption of power supply.

While speaking to Express News, Railways Electricity In charge Liaquat said that the electricity wiring system of the colony dates back to the British era. He admits that the department does not generate enough funds to replace old ones.

The railway yard also presents a picture of misery and recklessness. The railway lines used for repairs of the engines are broken. Broken slabs prevent trains and their drivers to make any use of the yard.

The hospital of the colony has its own horror story with the administration reportedly admitting ‘dummy patients’ when special teams visit for inspection. After the departure of the teams, the fake patients are sent back within minutes and the hospital is deserted as usual.

Officials told Express News the in charge and staff of the hospital remain absent from duty and even the railway employees do not visit the health facility which lacks even the basic provision of medicines.

The roads of the railway colony have also turned into pathetic structures. The MNAs and MPAs of Khanpur seem to have turned a blind eye to the issue. “The administration lacks funds to rebuild the roads,” a railway employee, requesting anonymity, told Express News. “Our MNA does make commitments regarding construction of roads, but vanishes after winning the election, saying the railways department has the authority to carry out development of the area,” he maintained.

The colony has four different roads in all none of which have been rebuilt during the past four years.

The main road leading to the railway station is generally covered with water, not only damaging the lanes but also creating a traffic mess.

When contacted, Khanpur Station Master Malik Ghulam Arbi told Express News, “I have been working at the station for the past two years and have communicated the problems being faced by the people to the high-ups several times, but funds were not released for the purpose.”

Similarly, Railway Assistant Executive Engineer Sikandar Abbas said, “Railways is making efforts to address the issues. The problems will be resolved in a short time.”

Meanwhile, Railway Colony Municipal Councilor Rana Muhammad Faisal told Express News, “The project of laying new water pipelines worth Rs0.16 million is under way while a demand notice of Rs0.68 million for provision of Sui gas has been released. However, the payment has not been made by the headquarters as yet.”

He added, “The Punjab government has provided Rs0.27 million for sewerage works while Rs0.15 million are also being spent on upgradation of the  railway stadium.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2018.