Pindi faces project challenges
As the year draws to a close, Rawalpindi faces a critical juncture with five major projects in road infrastructure and healthcare either lingering incomplete or scheduled for transfer to the next year. The delay in these projects, vital for public welfare, not only incurs escalating costs but also exacerbates the hardships faced by the community.
Among the stalled initiatives, the Leh Expressway and Flood Channel and Kachehri Chowk flyover projects have yet to commence, while the Mother and Child Hospital and Rawalpindi Ring Road projects are anticipated to conclude in the upcoming year. Additionally, the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplantation (RIUT) achieved partial functionality this year, with the kidney transplant facility remaining inactive.
The Leh Expressway and Flood Channel project, initiated in 2007 post the 2005 floods that claimed 70 lives and incurred significant financial losses, aimed to provide an alternative traffic route and address flooding issues from Nullah Leh. Despite its critical importance, the project was cancelled in 2008, leading to a ballooning cost from Rs35 billion to Rs100 billion. The project is currently pending approval by authorities, and its fate will likely hinge on decisions made by the government following the 2024 general elections.
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The Kachehri Chowk project, allocated Rs5 billion for a flyover and infrastructure remodelling, faced delays despite approval from the Punjab government. Envisioned to alleviate traffic congestion at one of the city's busiest intersections, the project remains untouched.
Former premier Imran Khan laid the foundation for the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, spanning 38.5km. While progress continues, its completion date rests in the hands of the incoming government.
Similarly, the Mother and Child Hospital, conceptualised in 2002 by then-prime minister Shaukat Aziz, aimed to ease the burden on Pindi’s main hospitals. Hindered by intermittent governmental support, the project finally resumed in 2018, only to face another halt following a no-confidence motion against the prime minister. The initial Rs3 billion cost has surged to Rs9 billion, with the completion delayed by 10 to 15 per cent.
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The RIUT, initiated in 2012, remains incomplete despite its construction conclusion in 2005. Operating without kidney transplant services, the hospital’s limited offerings include outpatient, emergency, and dialysis units. The caretaker Punjab government’s decision to transfer supervision to the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute in Lahore raises concerns about increased expenses for patients seeking kidney transplants. “This would mean that patients will have to bear huge expenses to get a kidney transplant from the hospital,” said doctors in response to the news of a new supervising institution.
The outlook for these projects remains uncertain, leaving Rawalpindi residents awaiting positive developments in the year ahead.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2023.