Road sinkholes threaten lives

Experts call for sewerage system overhaul, traffic diversions

JARANWALA:

Civic authorities have failed to declare Sargodha Road dangerous or implement a traffic diversion plan, despite repeated sinkholes appearing on the road, placing commuters' lives at risk.

A third sinkhole emerged on October 15 in the same location as previous ones, due to the collapse of an outdated sewerage pipeline laid decades ago by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), sources revealed.

Engineering experts have reported a troubling pattern: nine sinkholes have appeared in different urban areas of Faisalabad over the last decade. Yet, civic bodies such as the Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA), WASA, the Metropolitan Corporation, City Traffic Police, and the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (TEPA) have failed to develop a concrete plan to address or prevent future incidents.

Thousands of daily commuters and motorists on Sargodha Road remain at the mercy of this official negligence.

Nadeem Khurshid, a town planner and civil society activist, expressed grave concerns, noting that despite the emergence of three sinkholes in four months, neither the district administration nor any civic department has initiated an investigation into the malfunctioning infrastructure.

He emphasised that the sewerage system, laid in 1983, has far exceeded its intended lifespan, yet no action has been taken to replace it.

WASA Director Farhan Akram Choudhary acknowledged the issue, stating that the Punjab government has assured WASA of a Rs10 billion allocation to replace the city's sewerage system.

He admitted that without immediate intervention from the city traffic police, there is a high risk of further accidents.

"A traffic diversion plan must be devised as a matter of urgency to prevent any untoward incidents due to the deteriorating underground infrastructure," he said.

Dr Muhammad Ismael, spokesperson for the traffic police, acknowledged the need for a diversion plan.

"Sargodha Road is one of the city's main arteries, and we will bring this matter to the attention of higher authorities as soon as possible," he assured.

WASA Managing Director Amir Aziz confirmed that a summary has been sent to the Punjab Chief Minister requesting funds for the full replacement of the sewerage system.

He added that traffic has been restored after repairs were made to the most recent sinkhole, but the risk remains until a long-term solution is implemented.