ISLAMABAD: The trend of road damages shortly after their inauguration has persisted in the capital city, with recent photos of a dented portion of Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road circulating on social media.
The road, previously known as IJP Road, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a few days ago, but reliable reports indicate that it has already settled on several locations.
According to sources, this is not an isolated incident, as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has faced criticism for below-standard work in various projects.
The complaints of road settlements and damages have arisen in multiple areas, such as the slip road of 7th Avenue Interchange Abpara and Rawal Dam Interchange.
In addition, the newly inaugurated Margalla Avenue also experienced a collapse shortly after its opening, and the Shah Allah Ditta underpass faces routine flooding.
Moreover, the citizens have heavily criticized the city managers for their poor performance, attributing the road settlement on Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road to the alleged malpractices of CDA officers.
The social media users voiced their concerns about corruption in public welfare projects carried out by the CDA, demanding accountability and recovery of losses.
It is worth mentioning that the projects, including Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road, were awarded to state-owned companies, National Logistics Cell, and Frontier Works Organization, without undergoing a competitive process for their early completion.
Besides, the concerned officers tried to shift responsibility to these organizations, but a former Member of Engineering CDA refuted this claim, stating that executing officers should ensure the quality of work.
In response to the road rutting on Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Road, the Member Engineering CDA, Syed Munawar Shah, explained that it was due to the use of flexible asphalt by heavy traffic instead of the intended rigid pavement.
He assured that the contractor is already redoing the carpeting at their own expense since the project is yet to be formally handed over to the CDA.
While defect liability periods exist for two years after taking over projects, concerns over road quality and damages remain a point of scrutiny for the CDA.
Source: The Nation
