Sindh Chief Minister Urges Swift Completion of Indus Highway

The completion of a crucial 132-km-long dual carriageway from Jamshoro to Sehwan on the Indus Highway remains pending, causing significant safety concerns and tragic accidents. Over the past four years, 115 individuals lost their lives, and 317 sustained injuries in 97 traffic accidents along this incomplete section. The recent incident involving six fatalities and numerous injuries due to a coach colliding with an oil tanker near Sehwan has once again highlighted the urgency of finishing this vital infrastructure project.

Despite the project's initiation in December 2017 with an allocated budget of Rs14 billion, the dual carriageway has yet to be completed, with the Sindh government contributing Rs7 billion towards its cost. The alarming statistics reveal a pressing need for the National Highway Authority (NHA) to expedite the construction process and ensure the safety of commuters along this critical route.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has repeatedly emphasized the importance of completing this road section promptly, questioning the delays when the provincial government managed to finish a 62-km-long road in just four months. The recent high-level meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah underscored the gravity of the situation, with concerns raised over the engineering design faults contributing to accidents and the NHA's failure to meet construction deadlines.

With the NHA committing to completing the dual carriageway by June 2024, stakeholders are urged to prioritize safety measures, including addressing sharp turns and enhancing traffic monitoring capabilities. The tragic toll of lives lost underscores the critical need for swift action to finalize this essential infrastructure project and prevent further accidents along the Indus Highway.