Mehran Highway
{{Short description|Sindh provincial road (Two-way road) in Pakistan}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Coord missing|Pakistan}}
{{infobox road
| country = PAK
| type = KP
| route = 31
| alternate_name = Mehran Highway
{{Nastaliq|مهران شاہراہ}}
مِهِراڻ ُ هاءِوي
| length_km = 163
| length_ref = [http://www.sindh.gov.pk/SINDH%20ROAD%20MAP.gif Road map] sindh.gov.pk {{dead link|date=August 2023}}
| direction_a = North
| direction_b = South
| terminus_a = 30px at Khairpur(near Therhi)
| cities = Daur
Bandhi
Kot Lalu
Thari Mirwah
Ranipur
| terminus_b = 30px at Nawabshah
| established =
| history =
| junction =
| maint = Sindh Highways Department
| map =
| ahn =
| photo = Mehran highway road sign board.jpg
| province = Sindh
}}
Mehran Highway ({{langx|sd|مِهِراڻ ُ هاءِوي}}, {{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|مهران شاہراہ}}}}, also known locally as Nawabshah–Kot Lalu–Kumb Road and officially as Highway 31) is a two-lane-wide, bidirectional, single carriageway, provincially maintained highway in Sindh that extends from Khairpur to Nawabshah. The route is generally rural, passing near several smaller towns including Daur and Bandhi in Shaheed Benazir Abad District and Kot Lalu, Pacca Chang, Karoondi, Sui Gas, and Ranipur in Khairpur District. The northern terminus merges with the N-5 National Highway at Ranipur while the southern terminus merges with N-305 National Highway at Zero Point Nawabshah.
History
Prior to reconstruction of the Mehran Highway, the route was known as Kumb–Nawabshah Road. Reconstruction of the road had been pending for several years due to red tapism, causing accidents and diseases due to incomplete sections of the road where dust rising after passing of vehicles would also destroy crops alongside.{{cite news|title=Mehran Highway pending for 7 years|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/18284/mehran-highway-pending-for-7-years/|accessdate=19 September 2015|agency=Express Tribune|publisher=The Express Tribune News Network|date=3 June 2010}} The Sindh Highways Department completed reconstruction in June 2015 and was funded by the Asian Development Bank.{{cite news|last1=AMIN AHMED|title=Asian Bank to help build road network in Sindh|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1144812|accessdate=19 September 2015|agency=Dawn|date=16 November 2014}}{{cite web|url=https://lubpak.com/archives/131546|title=PPP's four years of government in Sindh – by Raja Asad|publisher=lubpak.com|accessdate=26 July 2016}}
Deadly Accidents
File:Mehran Highway (Kumb Nawabshah road).jpg
The Mehran Highway is a high volume traffic road, as it connects Nawabshah and Khairpur districts and offers a shortcut to and from Sukkur. Many heavy transport vehicles which are traveling from Karachi to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir and back, often use this two-lane highway to avoid the N-5 National Highway traffic or toll tax. Police personnel are deployed at highway entrance points to stop high tonnage vehicles from entering but they, instead, take bribes and allow the heavy vehicles to proceed. Due to those heavy vehicles and commuter buses and coaches passing through Mehran highway many deadly accidents have taken place in the past few years.{{cite news|last1=PPI|title=Reckless driving: 8 killed, 178 injured in road accidents|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/923438/reckless-driving-8-killed-178-injured-in-road-accidents/|accessdate=16 September 2015|agency=The Express Tribune|publisher=The Express Tribune News Network|date=21 July 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/859103/tragedy-in-khairpur-reckless-driving-claims-14-lives/|title=Tragedy in Khairpur: Reckless driving claims 14 lives - The Express Tribune|date=26 March 2015|publisher=tribune.com.pk|accessdate=26 July 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/859567/with-two-more-deaths-khairpur-bus-accident-toll-rises-to-16/|title=With two more deaths, Khairpur bus accident toll rises to 16 - The Express Tribune|date=26 March 2015|publisher=tribune.com.pk|accessdate=26 July 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/858954/sindhs-deadly-highway-fatal-bus-on-the-wrong-highway-without-a-permit/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329074312/http://tribune.com.pk/story/858954/sindhs-deadly-highway-fatal-bus-on-the-wrong-highway-without-a-permit/ |archive-date=29 March 2015 |url-status=dead |title=Sindh's deadly highway: Fatal bus on the wrong highway without a permit - The Express Tribune |accessdate=26 July 2016 }}
On 20 August 2013, a passenger bus from Uch Sharif (Bahawalpur) overturned in Thari Mirwah, killing 6 passengers.{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1037108|title=Six killed in Khairpur road mishap - Pakistan - DAWN.COM|date=20 August 2013|publisher=dawn.com|accessdate=26 July 2016}}
On 24 August 2014 a passenger bus traveling southbound from Punjab to Karachi collided at with a van traveling northbound to Thari Mirwah at Kot Lalu killing 10 passengers and injuring 11 others. All deceased were residents of Thari Mirwah.{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/753128/speed-kills-road-accident-claims-10-lives/|title=Speed kills: Road accident claims 10 lives - The Express Tribune|date=24 August 2014|publisher=tribune.com.pk|accessdate=26 July 2016}}
On 25 March 2015, a Karachi-bound coach from Sadiqabad collided head-on with a Punjab-bound truck near Sui-Gas bus stop on the highway, resulting in the death of at least 16 people and injury of 20.{{Cite web|title=Four women among 16 killed in truck-bus collision on Mehran Highway|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/11634-four-women-among-16-killed-in-truck-bus-collision-on-mehran-highway|access-date=2021-10-27|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}}
On 6 July 2018, at least 15 people were killed and 25 injured when a Punjab-bound coach from Karachi, a van and a car collided near Daur town.{{Cite web|title=15 killed in Nawabshah road accident|url=https://www.radio.gov.pk/06-07-2018/15-killed-in-nawabshah-road-accident|access-date=2021-10-27|website=www.radio.gov.pk|language=en}}
In another tragic incident, six people including five schoolchildren were crushed to death by a passenger van, on 29 March 2021, near Kot Lalu.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-30|title=Six die as passenger van runs over schoolchildren|url=https://nation.com.pk/30-Mar-2021/six-die-as-passenger-van-runs-over-schoolchildren|access-date=2021-10-26|website=The Nation|language=en}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mehran+Hwy,+Pakistan/@26.7004948,68.4974291,9.79z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x394a6d8b9550b26f:0x6af297371af5cc00 Mehran Hwy Pakistan]
- [http://www.distancemonk.com/nawabshah-to-kumb/a56b300a207cb7d1/ Distance from Kumb-Nawabshah]
- [http://www.sindh.gov.pk/SINDH%20ROAD%20MAP.gif]
{{Provincial Highways of Sindh}}