Carpeting of a new road and opening it for traffic, despite many electricity poles still standing in the middle of the dual carriageway, has triggered a heated debate on social media as travelers risk life and limb.
asserted
travelers → carpet → life
Responding to the criticism from people, the Sindh government defended its decision to complete and open the road — connecting Alamdar Chowk with the old National Highway near Qasim Chowk — saying that the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) had been showing lethargy in fulfilling its responsibility of relocating the poles after which such a decision was taken.
asserted
decision → respond → which
The poles carry high-tension lines emanating from near the 132-kV grid station of Qasimabad that feeds a considerably large part of Hyderabad city.
asserted
that → carry → city
Social media users had uploaded videos of the road dotted with the poles a couple of days back with crispy comments.
asserted
users → upload → comments
CM says carriageway carpeted and opened to force Hesco into relocating transmission lines
The poles existed in their place when the road was being given the first layer of carpeting.
asserted
road → say → carpeting
Since the two ends of the road were not blocked with barriers, vehicles started plying along it supposing that there was no risk in using it.
asserted
vehicles → block → it
However, the poles posed a great risk to commuters’ life.
asserted
poles → pose → life
Motorists and bike-riders have to drive in a zig-zag manner to avoid hitting the poles.
asserted
Motorists → have → poles
On Friday, the criticism forced Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to publicly explain that it was Hesco’s responsibility to relocate the poles.
asserted
it → force → poles
The power utility was provided funds for the work, but it did not carry out the work, he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the World Culture Festival in Karachi.
asserted
he → provide → Karachi
The chief minister said there was a major issue of land availability for the construction of the road.
asserted
minister → say → road
The chief secretary, he said, contacted the military estate authorities and got the land use permission.
asserted
he → say → permission
He explained that as a matter of strategy, the government constructed the road first and restored the traffic so that pressure would come upon Hesco.
asserted
pressure → explain → Hesco
He pointed out: “As soon as the road was constructed, public pressure increased and Hesco was forced to remove the poles”.
asserted
Hesco → point → poles
The road is a 1.6km-long dual carriageway which is part of three road projects involving a cost of Rs1.06 billion.
asserted
which → involve → billion
It is entirely new for the people of Hyderabad and connects the city’s bypass from the Qasim Chowk road.
asserted
It → connect → road
Until now used to be known as Ghora Ground, the artery has been converted to an asphalt road, the landscape otherwise being an abandoned waterlogged area used for electricity transmission to Deh Fouj Gah through the poles.
asserted
landscape → use → poles
The area is located within the administrative territory of the Cantonment Board Hyderabad and Military Estate Office (MEO).
asserted
area → locate → Board
Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah had obtained permission from the two offices to build this road in order to lessen the traffic pressure on Qasim Chowk and Wadhu Wah in Qasimabad.
asserted
Shah → obtain → Qasimabad
The work on the road project had begun in April this year.
asserted
work → begin → April
Hyderabad mayor’s spokesman and district administration also had to respond to the criticism from people on social media.
asserted
spokesman → have → media
Sindh government’s spokesman Sadia Javed clarified the situation, but admitted that there was some sort of negligence seen on the part of the administration and that it should have put up barricades there with warning signs for commuters.
asserted
it → clarify → commuters
“When development schemes are executed, some issues do crop up,” she maintained.
asserted
she → execute → ?
According to Hesco spokesman Sadiq Kubar, Qasimabad grid station located near Alamdar Chowk feeds electricity to 27 feeders.
uncertain
station → accord → feeders
Of them, 24 pass through this area which used to be an abandoned space until the road scheme was approved.
asserted
scheme → pass → area
He said that out of the 27 feeders, 22 have been shifted to new poles and accordingly energised.
asserted
22 → say → poles
The remaining five would also be energized, he added.
asserted
he → remain → ?
Similarly, he explained, 100 high-transmission lines needed to be shifted and out of them, 50 were positioned in the area until this road project was conceived
asserted
project → explain → area
He said that relocation of the poles involved a cost of Rs79m.
asserted
relocation → say → Rs79
He said that while these 50 poles stood removed from the road, as many others were located along the grid station.
asserted
others → say → station
Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon, in his response to the issue on Thursday night, said that the road was not formally opened.
asserted
road → say → night
He claimed that barricades, cautionary signage and other deterrents were deployed by the executive agency concerned and the traffic police, “but commuters continue to breach them daily”.
asserted
commuters → claim → them
He said proximity of Qasimabad grid station with the road necessitated relocation of electricity infrastructure, adding that until Wednesday (Oct 28), 97 poles had been shifted and the remaining ones would be relocated by Nov 10.
asserted
ones → say → Nov
He said only the ‘base binder course’ was laid; the final wearing (asphalt) course is yet to be laid.
asserted
course → say → ?
He said appropriate compaction is needed since it had previously been a waterlogged area.
asserted
it → say → ?
Thus, he added, ‘binder course’ is laid early.
asserted
course → add → ?
The Aporia
