Workshops in residential areas irk locals

Dozens of illegal old spare part workshops set up in cantonment residential areas lead to mental and physical hazards for the locals.

It has become difficult to pass through the streets of these neighbourhoods, and traffic jams and noise pollution caused by mechanical work have forced residents to sell their valuable properties at low prices and migrate.

Despite many complaints on Prime Minister Citizen Portal, the Cantt authorities have not initiated any action against these workshops. Some of the affected areas include Railway Road, Gandam Mandi, Athwa Mithu Khan, Ahata Sheikh Fazal Elahi, Prem Gali, Puri Pul, and Jail School etc.

A resident Majid Pervaiz Bhatti told The Express Tribune that these shops have been set up in and around Kamran Market, Gawalmandi Bridge, Railway Road to Pohri Bridge, and from Chak Bazaar to Gali Kasaban. He added non-customs paid engines and other spare parts are sold illegally in these markets and the noise has made almost every resident sick.

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Another local Khurram Butt said traffic jam has become routine while piles of waste accumulate, making it difficult to walk on the road. He added the citizens face immense obstacles in reaching the railway station while influential traders have also encroached the footpaths.

Khurram said there is no parking space left for the residents to park their vehicles owing to the rush in the local market.

Resident Raja Mohammad Fayyaz said that commercial activities in the city’s old residential areas have destroyed culture and brotherhood. He lamented that many families have migrated because of this problem and said it is unclear why the cantonment administration does not take action against illegal shops.

Other residents, including Zain Butt, Raja Muhammad Jahangir, Muhammad Ahsan, Masood Butt, Raja Usman, and Raja Muhammad Yousuf, demanded an end to commercial activities in residential areas, and stated that remote areas were well-suited for them.

Meanwhile, the cantonment officials insisted that Rawalpindi Cantt has been divided into four zones to eradicate encroachments and illegal constructions. Commercial activity cannot be allowed in any residential area, they said, adding that a grand operation will be launched soon in Mithu Khan and other areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2021.