KHALID MALIK LAHORE Illegal road cuts, uneven repair works, jagged surface of roads, excavations for laying pipelines, electricity or phone lines have been identified as some of the major causes of stagnation of rainwater on the Citys roads, reveals a survey conducted by TheNation. Poor sanitation system, dilapidated condition of many roads and undue delay in completion of road-related development projects (in most cases pending for a couple of years) are some other reasons of delay in pumping out the rainwater, particularly during the on-going monsoon. But the Wasa officials, associated with the Misri Shah and Shadbagh sub-divisions, say the citizens are equally responsible for causing the colossal damage to the nations kitty by digging up roads without prior permission from the authorities concerned for laying gas, water and sewerage pipelines. The public, it may be noted, adopt this viral practice just to avoid Wasa fees imposed for any road digs. The fee is imposed to make for such damages as may be caused as the result of digging and cutting the roads. But, unfortunately, people do not pay fees and the department does not repair the road cuts and excavations, which ultimately results in destruction and dilapidation of a road. This 'negligence soon starts making ponds on the roads. The situation further aggravates when the monsoon season sets in, the Wasa officials told our scribe during the survey. They officials claimed that they could only flush out the rainwater from the Citys roads. But they added that they were not bound to sweep out the water from the road holes or the bad roads because, what they said, we are not sweepers. It is the responsibility of the government to construct anew or repair the damaged portions of the dilapidated roads or to change old and/or damaged small pipelines so that the rainwater could easily be drained out through sewerage pipelines, one of the officials we spoke to said. They Wasa officials said the dilapidated roads of Chah Miran, Kashmir, Bhagatpura, Kot Khawaja Saeed, Katcha Band, and all the roads in the China Scheme were victims of illegal road cuts. They also blamed bad (unlevelled) construction of many other raods, including the Ghoray Shah Road, Aziz Road in Misri Shah and Main Shadbagh Road as the main cause of rainwater stagnation there. A Wasa expert, Muhammad Akram, said that poor planning by various departments and their lack of coordination regarding launching a new (road) project such as laying of sewers or digging made for construction of new drains, initiation of repair work of roads or streets or construction of new roads are the main causes of turning the Citys roads into ponds. An other officer, associated with the Planning and Development Department of the City District Government told this scribe, on the condition of anonymity, that the government departments and their planners are used to starting uplift works at the eleventh hour. Instead, they should make plans for the future by utilising their expertise or skills. They must come to their duties with the fresh and prepared mind so that they could prove that they have skills, capabilities and specialities in their fields, he said. He added: Its pathetic that the government and the incapable planners have wasted billions of rupees of the exchequer by executing futile projects on the name of public welfare ventures. Naeem Ahmad, an engineer, says that mismanagement in the launching of various development projects without any solid planning, misuse of funds and lethargic attitude on part of the district management and the officials of the departments concerned regarding accomplishing process of such development projects in fact, is the root cause of damage not only to the national exchequer but also the citizens who compelled to lead miserable lives due to dilapidated condition of City roads, substandard constructions and undue delay in completion of such projects. Durable and well planned development projects as well as construction work now is only a dream because the authorities concerned including the peoples representatives and the district administration have become lethargic in this regard and are focussing point scoring and money minting only by starting different futile and useless projects instead of fulfilling their obligations by showing their performance by bringing in well planned projects and ensuring their timely completion as well not only for the public welfare but also for the prosperity of the country, he said. While concluding, he said that sewers laying project at the Zaildar Road in Ichhra, dilapidated condition of the Circular Road, the work at the under-construction Jesus and Marry Road - from Chowk Shimla Pahari to Chowk Garhi Shahu - be referred as an example of efficiency of the planners.