Monsoons are expected to occur every year in Pakistan but one can see no serious measures have been taken for the maintenance of the roads, especially the highways, by the National Highway Authority (NHA) officials. The roads and bridges of –almost– every province of Pakistan are broken. Having safe roads is the right of every citizen. Everyone use these roads and bridge but they are used in a populated number in especially occasions like Eid, because various individuals visit their families.
The Balgetar bridge, in the the district of Panjgur, is 70 percent debilitated due to the heavy rains and is poorly maintained, same goes for its roads. It is the duty of NHA officers to make sure that the roads are in good condition for the people to have a safe journey. Further, an especial check and balance and patrolling is required on the roads which are surrounded with mountainous ranges as there is always a risk of land-sliding.
The Surab-Hoshab highway (N-85), Basima, is a town and tehsil in Washuk District of Baluchistan where the highway authority has built road-breakers without any prior sign-boards even though, it is publicly known that no road-breakers are allowed on the highways. Nonetheless, if having road-breakers is significant in certain areas for whatever reason, then the authority should, at least, have a signboard indicating of the road-breaker ahead for the awareness of the commoners and drivers to drive cautiously. The same is the case with the nearby towns of Basima where road-breakers are poorly built by using materials such as rocks and sand that are not only inconvenient but also dangerous for the individuals and the families that use these roads.
Further, the bridges and roads of the Makran Coastal Highway (N-10) are also poorly built and are extremely damaged as one can see a numbers of potholes in them. Some potholes are extremely big, approximately 1.5 or 2 feet in measuring size, especially on the bridges.
Apart from NHA, the Department of Building and roads (B&R) Baluchistan are also liable for such managements because their duty is to check the conditions of the roads, at least once a month, so that they have the clear idea of where the roads are being damaged and what part of the road needs construction. The worst part is that the contractors have made the roads and bridges by using low-quality materials which explains why the roads get damaged after a slow-rain and this has been happening every year, especially during the season of the monsoon.
The government needs to keep a check and balance in terms of its institutes like NHA and B&R department of Baluchistan. Before repairing or constructing new roads, these departments need to survey the kinds of materials that are being used for the construction of the roads, so that they remain cautious of the types of disaster people are facing currently.
