Mega water project becomes nuisance
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15/05/2008
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Dawn (Pakistan)
Mega project of water supply and drainage, launched in Sukkur city at a cost of Rs 3 billion federal government grant, has become a nuisance for the people turning the entire atmosphere of Sukkur city dusty, besides causing tremendous difficulties for the pedestrians and as well as motorists. Almost the entire inter-city roads have been dug up reducing the already narrow passages and interrupting the smooth flow of traffic especially in the peak hours of morning and evening. People have started criticising the concerned agencies for this method and termed it lack of planning among the planners and the city fathers. It may be mentioned here that the mega project was approved by the former government of prime minister Shaukat Aziz and the budget was released about six months back while the work was initiated from airport road, Sukkur. The traffic position of Sukkur city had already been aggravated due to the mushroom construction of different high rise in many parts of Sukkur, which also added much to the problem of underground drainage system and water supply to thousands of owners of these cemented structures. Although the city is located at the right bank of Indus, water supply problem to most of the down town area has become acute in this extreme hot season and people are seen running from pillar to post to fetch a water can for their domestic needs. People's miseries seem to be unending by frequency of power outages which has almost collapsed the municipal water works system. Several social organisations, including the APDM, had arranged street agitations in which angry mobs vent their anger by torching tyres and, in some instances, tried to ransack government building, offices and vehicles.