Ubauro, Sindh: A project of constructing a drain and a bridge at national highway near Mirpur Mathelo in Ghotki district seems to be in doldrums increasing the problems for the vehicular traffic between Sindh and Punjab, as there had been no progress of work at the specific portion of highway excavated over half a year back.
The project was planned to drain out rain/flood water after the highway was destroyed during floods of 2010 and heavy rains of 2011 and 2012. The National Highway Authority NHA officials are alleged to have designed the drain and the bridge sitting at the office without soil testing, with the result that when the contractors started excavating the road, the water came out being the highly water logged area with level of subsoil water.
“The work had been stopped, as the NHA engineers were to redesign the project and it is still awaited since last five months,” contractors told. “As we start digging, the water comes out making it useless to dig it further,” they added.
As the road remains excavated and the redesigning of project has been delayed, thousands of buses, trucks, tractor trolleys, cars and other vehicles passing through this area get stuck up for hours making the journey miserable. It may be mentioned that no alternate way or diversion has been made properly for smooth flow of traffic.
Delay in execution of work has also caused loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.