The middle part of the dilapidated Natha Khan Bridge in the Shahra-e-Faisal area of Karachi has been pronged badly which might cause a mishap on Wednesday. Due to the damaged part of the bridge, the traffic flow was affected creating difficulties for passengers going to the airport from Drug Road. However, the repair work on the affected road could not be started yet. Natha Khan Bridge is perhaps the only section of the city’s prime highway-like thoroughfare, Sharea Faisal, which has been a victim of constant neglect although it has been serving for long a huge population shuttling between the international airport and a vast territory of this metropolis.

A lack of proper and regular maintenance, as well as a strict check on unscrupulous elements, has turned the vital installation into a dangerous path for commuters and pedestrians alike. Once strong, smooth and architecturally attractive, the bridge now stands without a complete railing, smooth road and safe pavement. It had lost its colour years back and no official has since bothered to pay attention to the defaced structure. Earlier, about 100-foot portion of the concrete railings on both sides of the bridge had fallen down or been damaged by unscrupulous elements. Recent heavy rains had caused considerable damage to certain portions of the bridge prompting the authorities concerned to fill up the wide cracks that had developed in its walls as well. However, the repair work was confined to the ‘heavily damaged’ portions.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan