Several City roads cannot withstand rains


KARACHI - Roads in some of the busiest areas of the metropolis need immediate repair in view of start of rainy season. Their bad is already a cause of traffic snarls. A major example is the road proceeding from Empress Market in Saddar to Lucky Star, which bears heaviest vehicular movement, morning till night.

One track of this Mir Aijaz Ali Talpur Road was dug for some underground line work many months ago. For the following some weeks it was left unattended and later haphazardly filled up with rock and mud and lies in the same state since then.

In case of rain the entire track is prone to cave-in, becoming a virtual canal.

Heavy traffic entering Saddar utilises this road for diverse destinations like Cantonment Railway Station, Jinnah and Cardio Hospitals, Fleet Club on one side, Zainab Market, upward to major luxury hotels and Clifton/ Defence Housing area, Bohri Bazar, Governor House, Chundrigar Road’s financial district and the sea port area on the other side.

Past the commonly known “Korangi Stop” this road also has a broad cross- cut filled with rock and mud which in case of accumulation of rainwater can swallow small and medium size vehicles. A manhole on this portion of the road, at its turning towards Dr. Daudpota Road near the Tonga Stand (which bears heavy two-way traffic despite being very narrow) is a virtual trap for vehicles and the pedestrians in case of rain.

The portion of Daudpota Road near Jahangir Park /Mayfair Apartments and fruit vendors area is another spot where road repair is badly needed since months. This portion bears heaviest traffic leaving Saddar for various areas west and north of the city. The design flaws on some roads left unattended for past several years are another factor needing immediate attention as rainwater traditionally accumulates there to the extent that these roads become impassable for vehicles of lower height. During rain only buses, tankers, trucks and coaches can wade through, of course with some difficulty.

Some glaring examples are a portion of Aiwan-e- Sadr Road along the Governor House and its intersection with Dr. Ziauddin Road, portion of road in front of Academy of Performing Arts and the Arts Council of Pakistan, Mohammed Bin Qasim Road from D.J. College to Burns Road Crossing, both tracks of Frere Road from Burns Road to Court Road intersection, the Court Road itself which is host to the Provincial Assembly building and offices of provincial government departments, the road hosting MPAs Hostels, NAB offices and part of Pakistan Secretariat, Urdu Bazar from Radio Pakistan building to Court Road, the turning of Jahangir Road near Masjid Kanz-ul-Emaan, portion of road from Guru Mandir to the Quaid’s Mazar.

the Underpasses in Liaquatabad and Gharibabad (with no satisfactory exit for rain water), portion around Dak-khana crossing in Liaquatabad, the entry lanes of blocks 6 and 10 of Federal B-Area whose depth increased with re-construction and raising of Shahrah-e-Pakistan and which now become an impassable pool during rain due to inflow from the highway as well as other blocks of the opposite side, the intersection of Shahrah-e-Pakistan with Allama Ibne Hasan Jarchavi Road.