SWAT: Residents and motorists in Mingora have complained aboutthe poorrestoration of roads and streets dug up for laying water supply pipelines under the Mingora Greater Water Supply Scheme, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Contractors engaged in the project have restored several sections of roads excavated for pipeline installation.
However, residents and vehicle owners have complained that the restoration work was substandard.
They said that at several places, deep ditches and excavated patches were filled without properly levelling and pav-ing the surface. Holes, uneven sections and unpaved portions remain in the middle of roads and streets, creating difficulties for motorists and pedestrians.
Vehicle owners expressed particular concern about the road condition, as cars, motorcycles and other vehicles had to pass through uneven surfaces and holes left after completion of pipeline work.
‘The roads were dug up for a public utility project, but after the work was completed, those were not restored to their original condition,’ said Imtiaz Ali, a local motorist, adding that the uneven patches could damage vehicles and increase the risk of accidents.
Residents also questionedthe quality of supervision of the restoration work, saying that civil engineers and project officials must have ensured that the roads are compacte d, levelle d and pave d according to the required standards.
They demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, local administration and authorities responsible for the water supply scheme to inspect the affected roads and direct the contractors to rectify the defective work.
The residents said that since the project received financial assistance from the ADB, authorities concerned must ensure transparency and quality in the execution of restoration work and hold contractors responsible for the poor construction.