PESHAWAR - Despite spending Rs400 million on heritage trail project in Mohallah Sethian old city; WSSP, district administration and Town-I failed to take care of the renovated bazaar by stopping encroachment and removing garbage from the roadside to keep it clean for the visitors.

Soon after completion of the project, it lost its essence as the area presented look of an ordinary street despite spending Rs400 million. During work on the project, each shopkeeper was paid Rs10,000 per month as compensation as at the time of renovation the business of the shopkeepers was affected.

Director Archaeology and Museum Abdul Samad said that after completing the project, it was decided that Town-I administration would look after the project to stop encroachment and remove garbage. However, the district and its subordinate Town-I administration demonstrated negligence and did not take the issue seriously to provide clean environment to the visitors where people were visiting to enjoy variety of food items at night time.

Director Archaeology expressed deep concern over this slackness and lethargic attitude of the district administration for not deputing staff to take care of this renovated bazaar where people were parking their vehicles and throwing garbage.

He said that archaeology department has not equipped staff to take care of cleanliness and repair work and now it is the responsibility of the district government to take care of the project. He said that in the long run, it is impossible for the archaeology department to keep watch over the entire arrangements.

Besides, the administration of Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar has demonstrated extreme negligence in keeping the road side area clean from where people get food. There are no dustbins and no car parking area for the visitors.

When asked, District Nazim Muhammad Asim regarding the plight of heritage trail project, he blamed archaeology department for not allocating parking area for the visitors who were parking their cars on the main renovated street.

He said that it was not decided that district administration will look after the venue and now aseparate meeting would be held to prepare recommendations for the cleanliness and parking at the bazaar.

WSSP staff is taking huge salaries for cleaning Peshawar but they have failed to remove garbage from four towns of the city.