Zaranj residents complain about road encroachments

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Some residents in Zaranj city, the capital of northwestern Nimroz province, complain about growing disorder in the city, but municipality say a discipline urban committee has been established to deal with encroachments.

Sediqa, a resident of Zaranj city told Pajwhok Afghan News, most of sidewalks were encroached by vendors, causing inconvenience to citizens while walking. The encroachment makes the city appear disorganized.

“The road to hospital is half covered with iron beams and the other half by gravel and cement. There is no way for vehicles and people pass through,” she added.

Sediqa explained some shopkeepers had placed their shop equipment on the sidewalks, creating problems for people to pass through.

According to Mohammad Arif Baloch, another resident: “Everyone parks their cars and rickshaws wherever they want, blocking the road left and right, leaving no room for cars to pass, and this unnecessary parking also causes traffic congestion”.

“In addition to creating disorder, the city has become ugly, and people face numerous problems. The municipality should pay attention to this issue”.

Also, Mohammad Rafi said: “The city is chaotic, nobody respects the rules of traffic, everyone constructs buildings and markets without a plan, we appreciate the municipality’s great and useful activities and projects, but they should stop encroachments so that city becomes orderly”.

Mayor Maulvi Salahuddin Mumtaz explained according to principles, notices, warnings and information had been given to violators, but residents must cooperate with the municipality because it could not ensure order in the city alone.

“We have created a committee that explores the city daily and collects violators, especially those who block roads with gravel, and brings them to the municipality, but they use elders as intermediaries, and they say, “Don’t be cruel to the people”.

The discipline committee controls vehicles parking, sidewalks and markets order to improve city order. Recently, it allocated two separate areas with a capacity of 50 booths for vendors and built and rented another area for fruit vendors, he added.

hz/ma