Industrialists call for speedy rehabilitation of national highway

The extremely slow pace of rehabilitation work at National Highway has irked the commuters, industrialists, residents and the traffic police officials as well. "The rehabilitation of National Highway (Malir Court, Quaidabad and Murghi khana), Mehran Highway (from hospital chowrangi to Port Qasim culvert), and Korangi Industrial Road (Future Mor, Murtaza Chowrangi to Khator Pump) has become very painful for general public due to its slow pace," said industrialists from Landhi Industrial Estate.
They said foreign visitors and business dignitaries are reluctant to visit these areas posing negative implications on future investment plans in the province. "Since there are no alternate routes, thousands of workers frequent use these roads and continue to suffer daily due to the abysmal road conditions," they added.
The road network serves 2 important industrial zones, Landhi, over an area of 11000 acres and Bin Qasim, over 25000 acres, where major and leading industries including textile, steel, pharmaceutical, automobile, chemical, engineering and flour mills are located and employing over half a million people who travel in and out daily on the highway.
Moreover, much of these industries are heavily dependent on the road network for supply of raw material and swift delivery of finished products to all over the country, they informed.
It should be noted that Karachi Industrial Forum representing Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Landhi Association of Trade and Industry (LATI), Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry (BQATI), North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry, SITE Superhighway Association of Trade and Industry, Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industry, and SITE Association of Industry had a press conference last year to draw the government's attention towards the poor infrastructure of industrial areas of the city.
KIF reasoned that the industrial areas of the city have virtually become war zones despite the fact that Karachi contributes more than 70 percent to the total tax revenue collected by the federal government, besides contributing 55 percent as sales tax and around 55 percent of total exports.
Though work has been started since but the pace is extremely slow creating a lot of problems for industries as well as residents of adjoining areas.
"It takes around 2 hours to reach a destination which is 20 minutes otherwise," said Zameer Ahmed, a worker of a factory situated in affected area. He said that this situation create traffic congestion and many cases of gun point dacoits have happened on massive scale compounding the stress of commuters and left bad impression on foreigners.
"The authorities should at least try to improve traffic management by providing suitable diversions wherever possible and facilitate commuters and enhance security on roads during peak hours to provide some relief to the citizens," he added.
The current situation needs immediate attention of the concerned authorities and they have to improve the pace of development work in order to facilitate the businesses and citizens and end their misery on urgent basis.