Ardeshir Cowasjee

THE ‘core issue’ for millions who commute on Karachi’s roads is, at this moment in time, the Clifton Cross (about which I have written earlier this month). Now, to follow the wont of Weaver of Magic Spells George Wellington Wells who always pressed onwards, the subject is continued.

“Ecco, no camber, no storm water drainage, damaged road faccia. No ready repair gangs. For why your engineers wasting city money? For what they are doing? Why such high footpaths? How high walker can climb?”

Such was the constant refrain muttered by Engineer Paolo Tradardi, consultant for Corneliano and Sidermar of Italy, as we drove along Karachi’s roads in those far off days, long before Jawaharlal Nehru marched into Marmagoa in 1961. The Italians were then importing Goaneze ore and Karachi was a midway port from which a regular passenger-cargo ship ran to Goa and back.

Tradari had a practical engineer’s trained and enquiring mind and his Italish was perfectly understandable. His remarks would today be identical and he would have rejected the Clifton Cross plan out of hand, with disdain. We are moving backwards.

The Clifton Cross was planned over a year ago, and was first discussed at a Tameer-e-Karachi meeting in June 2004 chaired by the then Commander 5 Corps, Lt General Ahsan Saleem Hyat (now VCOAS). Those present included City Nazim Niamatullah Khan, and a number of civil and military officials.

It is impossible to conceive that any one of the attendants could express any opinion contrary to that of Commander 5 Corps. In such manner are the affairs of our city decided. We were better off under the British one century ago, as can be judged from how the Gateway of India at Bombay, a city project presenting no impediment or inconvenience to the public, was designed and built : “George Wittert prepared alternate designs during 1912-13 for the monument. Models as well as drawings were exhibited for the public and criticisms and suggestions were received and considered. It was only in August 1914 that the final plans were sanctioned and Witteret altered the alignment of the harbour front to arrange his scheme.” (‘Bombay - The Cities Within’, Sharada Dwivedi/Rahul Mahrotra, pub.1995).

Anyhow, now frightened voices mutter, ‘I’m telling you but don’t say I told you.’ Reportedly a proper three-level design was presented (underpass/at grade/overpass) allowing for an uninterrupted flow of traffic from and to all directions. This was rejected: the order was given ‘Present another design within 15 days.’ The new makeshift design, cheap and careless, allows for no right turns, it is totally inadequate, and it is doubtful that it would be approved even in a backward republic reversing towards the fourth world.

A vehicle going towards Clifton from Teen Talwar wishing to turn right at Schon Circle to get to Mai Kolachi will have to travel up to Do Talwar and come round and back and turn left. A vehicle going towards the city from Clifton wishing to turn right at Schon Circle to get to Submarine Chowk will have to go up to Teen Talwar, turn round and come back to Schon Circle and turn left.

A vehicle coming from Mai Kolachi wishing to turn right and go to Clifton will have to go up to the Submarine Chowk, turn around, and come back to Schon Circle to turn left. A vehicle coming from Submarine Chowk and wishing to get to Teen Talwar will have to go all the way up to the Mai Kolachi roundabout and come back to Schon Circle and turn left.

Additional travelling time for each double-back comes to roughly 10 minutes over a distance of 1.5 kilometres. Multiply this by the number of vehicles plus man hours over a period of 50 years. Time and money lost — phenomenal!

If all this is unclear to any reader, he or she should consult an engineer.

What is needed is a three-tiered design. Designers NESPAK say that even at this stage a design can be provided if ‘client’ or ‘sponsor’ KPT asks for one. KPT is spending the Trust’s money, the people’s money. It should, before it is too late, order NESPAK to provide the design and tell the city government what should be done.

However, the city government couldn’t care less. Good old Nazim Niamatullah will say “I’ll be dead and gone, and so will old Cowasjee! Why is he agitating?” Should those responsible for this city not do what is right and proper for the welfare of its people?

Right now, immediately, something must be done to alleviate the mess that has been made, and to lessen the sufferings and trauma caused to commuters. For one thing, when such a project is undertaken, it is expected that work will continue for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that tools will not be downed for holidays and high days.

For another, a suggestion : That the governor, the city nazim, the city police chief, and whoever else is responsible, get into the driver’s seat of their own cars, with me sitting besides them, and travel, without escorts, sirens or police vehicles, over the dug-up/disturbed terrain and over all the available alternative routes on main roads and through sidelanes and backroads. Then and then only will they realize what the citizens, to whom they are responsible, are suffering and will be forced to suffer for the next two years. Then and then alone they may feel inclined to do something about it.

It can be done, if they think and plan (if capable of thought) and then organize the necessary repairs/recarpeting of the alternative routes, working obviously only during the night, every night. Would those concerned care to respond and react?

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