ISLAMABAD: The recently completed Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5) is a reflective of rapid progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), that brings huge benefit to the people, in term of their socio-economic uplift.

It employed more than 30,000 people, approximately 97 percent of which belong to the local community from the surrounding areas, says a report published by China Economic Net (CEN).

It is a core portion of the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway (PKM) that charged up the local industries involving construction materials, sand, cement and other materials besides a diverse array of businesses languishing over the past many years.

The M-5 has helped shrink the distance and cut almost in half the travel time from almost 7 hours to 3 and a half hour.

Since the new situation will lead to reduction of fuel consumption, the swelling burden of the oil import bill on the national exchequer stands to be minimized.

Owing to shortening of traveling time, comparatively less fuel will be used causing less emission of greenhouse gases. The pleasant effect will go a long way in healing the regional ecology.

According to report, for local residents, the Sukkur-Multan Motorway is not just a simple road, but instead a corridor of prosperity and progress that has opened the flood gates of life-transforming fortunes.

After opening for traffic, the project will open up the major north-south traffic artery in central Pakistan, greatly improving the inter-city traffic situation of Pakistan, and directly drive the social and economic development of the areas along the project and benefit the Pakistani people.

Credit definitely goes to world-renowned Chinese company China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) for making all this happen.

According to the report, at a time when anti Pak-China lobbies condemned CPEC, terming it a disaster for Pakistan, the Sukkur-Multan Motorway (M-5), is making a splash as a symbol of shared destiny.

Ammar Yasir Magsi, a manager of project said that the miracle project M-5 is known as a livelihood project providing everyone, especially women opportunities to grow together.,

The project is almost 13 days ahead of its completion schedule, as it started on August 5, 2016 and completed on July 23, 2019.

The local market witnessed a boom because during all procedural requirements of construction of the Sukkur-Multan Motorway, all materials were procured locally. It gave new life to the local economy which was struggling to improve,” he opined.

A total of 100 million cubic meters of earth, 30 million cubic meters of stone, 500,000 tons of bitumen, 60 million bricks, 6 million tiles, 1 million tons of cement, 500,000 tons of steel, more than 9,200 sets of machines and tools, 500 million liters of oil, 16.11 million square meters of turf, 360,000 seedlings and a large number of daily supplies have been purchased from the local market.

These material purchases directly boosted the development of the local earth-and-stone mining, transportation, equipment leasing and sales and other related industries, and indirectly provided impetus to downstream industries, injecting vitality into the local economy.

Keeping in view environment scenario, the Sukkur-Multan Motorway has helped changed the fate of the ecosystem in the region, putting in a positive contribution in achieving the national goals set by the government of Pakistan.

Technically speaking, owing to broken roads and the time duration required to cover the distance, vehicular carbon emissions have been peaking in a number of parts of Sukkur and Multan. However, after completion of M5, the distance has been cut to half, which will lead to lower transport generated carbon emissions.

Xiao Hua, general manager of the Peshawar-Karachi Motorway (PKM) project of CSCEC said through careful planning and reasonable arrangement, challenges were met in a befitting manner, the production efficiency was ensured and eventually all goals were completed in time.

Ding Zhaojie, a senior official of CSCEC said that the company had always been carrying out the policy of "quality first" during the construction process.

"Chinese, Pakistani and the American standards were considered, and the highest quality standard among the three standards was selected for quality control.