RAWALPINDI:
As the New Year approaches, Rawalpindi remains mired in stagnation, with no new development projects being launched or ongoing plans completed in 2024.
The city and cantonment development institutions have failed to address persistent problems including water scarcity, traffic congestion, encroachments and illegal constructions. Work on the remaining floors of the city’s only parking space stalled and no new parking spaces were built on the proposed sites, worsening traffic pressure on commercial areas.
The much-awaited Ghazi-Barotha Water Supply Project, planned to supply 100 million gallons of water daily to Rawalpindi and Islamabad, remained stuck in bureaucratic limbo despite feasibility approvals. The cost of the project soared from an initial estimate of Rs 30,000-40,000 crore to Rs 100,000 crore due to delays.
Similarly, the Rawalpindi Ring Road project, Leh Expressway project and flood canal and mother and child hospital saw little or no progress. The conversion of Bank Road into a pedestrian-only shopping street has further overloaded nearby roads and disrupted traffic flow due to inadequate planning.
Parking problems continued due to lack of space at Potohar 1 and Potohar 2, while construction of multi-storey parking spaces at these places was overlooked. Health facilities also faced serious challenges, with overstretched hospitals such as Benazir Bhutto General Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology offering surgical appointments six to eight months in advance.
The most notable project in Cantt last year was the transformation of Bank Road into Rawalpindi’s first pedestrian commercial street. However, this initiative left the parking spaces in the basements of the main shopping plazas unusable, as vehicles and motorcycles are no longer allowed in the area.
Consequently, diversion of traffic from Bank Road to Haider Road, Adamji Road, King Road and Kashmir Road has significantly disrupted the overall traffic system.
The educational infrastructure remained stagnant, with no new schools, colleges or universities being established in Rawalpindi, making it increasingly difficult for students to gain admission into government institutions or afford private institutions.
As the new year begins, the Rawalpindi Development Authority, WASA, PHA, Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Boards and District Councils are expected to reassess the ongoing and proposed development projects for 2025. It is yet to be to see if this year will bring much-needed progress. seen.
The most notable project in Cantt last year was the transformation of Bank Road into Rawalpindi’s first pedestrian commercial street.
