I should have posted these recommendations in "Humour & Bullshit thread"...:bash:

After a painful headeche... plz any1 tell us the final verdict of widening project..... we r fedup abt these articles......

every day i need pass from new campus canal road every day need wait more then 30 min to pass 1 km i am already fed up and planning to burn all the trees at night which are the main problem. and i swear no body care about the trees this is all dirty politics. God save us from these mother f***ers. where trees are more important then humans no body cares that how many persons already die on this road coz of traffic jam everyday just go to 1122 and check.

http://www.dailywaqt.com/280811/Images/p2-18.gif

I should have posted these recommendations in "Humour & Bullshit thread"...:bash:

I am amused you say that.

I have seen the complete report and while i think that the recommendations could have been formulated better, had the Committee set up by the supreme court been a more representative one, i.e. had subject matter experts, i still think that some of the recommendations are very good. Except for the recommendation which asks for some road sections to be widened, and that negated the whole point.

I say some recommendations are good because they ask that the congestion problem be treated and attacked systematically. how? They ask some road sections be re-engineered. service lanes which are inactive or in bad conditions should be restored to divert traffic which is originally meant for the housing societies on either side of the canal bank. ETC. I have argued for this earlier as well, that hack and saw, one solution fits all approach can not work and that the problem has to be attacked from multiple angles.

(I am interested in seeing what the traffic profile on the Canal Bank Road is). I.e. what is the purpose of people on that road, how many are going to johar town, how many out of time to motorway and on to Multan, how many are using it for going to the smaller housing societies across the road.

If you have a broken down road user profile and traffic pattern, traffic planners will be able to customise solutions for such traffic, like maybe a new faster road route for people going to johar town and maybe improved service lanes for the other smaller housing societies on the northern side of the canal road so that the Canal road is then left for through traffic, traffic which is crossing the city. And that is why the above recommendation make sense, they are attempting to segregate traffic and provide alternative and better solutions.

The idea that the old underpasses on the wrong side of the road be dismantled and re-constructed...it is very possible...i dont see whats funny there? Maybe some people on this forum are simply flabbergasted by the idea of demolition and reconstruction, but this happens all over the world (watch national geographic to see how building are torn down an redeveloped) , it is NOT an engineering challenge because it appears that is why people are laughing funny! Its a puny little underpass!

If i listen to people who are laughing at Recommendation 2, then these people would also have thought that building the Motorway M-2 was impossible...after all, it was a herculean task, and then building the road through the salt range....my oh my...! Try and imagine big people...the underpass realignment wont seem like a big deal then.

These recommendations could have be clustered together with a time horizon for implementation and the development of a long term strategy. Alas cant have every thing!

I will try and upload the report online so you can all view and share your comments.

Canal Road: Compromise no closer in widening project



Israr Saeed, the director of the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA), which is in charge of the project, rejected virtually all the recommendations, saying they were impractical. He advocated Tepa’s earlier project plan for widening the entire road and making it into a three-lane “urban highway”.

He said widening only some sections of the road would cause increased traffic congestion at bottlenecks, especially in the section after Doctor’s Hospital. He said re-engineering traffic junctions would involve a massive expenditure with little payoff.

Saeed dismissed the suggestion that the Canal be declared a heritage park and that schools be forced to introduce bus services for their students. “We tried engaging students, schools and parents in a similar project and it was a failure. Parents don’t want their children travelling on public transport when proper security can’t be ensured,” he said.


In the last two years, we’ve planted 230,000 trees in Lahore, including 10,000 along the Canal,” he said Finally, he said the city was not ready for suggestions such as ‘car-free’ days and a monthly public festival. “Such things can happen in civilised countries only,” he said.



Ask a barber if you need a haircut and he will tell you always that you need one.

This Israr Saeed guy sound like people on this forum, a one track argument! he ought to be replaced.

He is right that selective widening of the road would create more problems, and that is why the recommendation is wrong as pointed out by others.

He proposes an Urban Highway, i think he is 30 years out of tune with what the development trends dictate nowadays...i.e. cities can not afford urban highways! Here is an analogy. This is like saying that your Honda Civic 2011 model needs a carburetor engine and not an EFI engine! This is what this guy is effectively suggesting! You would want to listen to this guy?

As for buses for school, the fact that parents did not agree is a failure on part of the govt. because it was unable to sell that idea to parents and instill a sense of confidence and security.

And I have yet to see the 10,000 trees planted along the Canal in the past two years as he claims. These guys can never talk facts and all they know is how to bullshit and make a fool out of people.

my brain stopped functioning after the second time.. :nuts:

Here, as promised, please find attached the link to the "Recommendations of The Lahore Canal Road Mediation Committee (https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B-wiQ9b9YXeMMDNhMDk3MzctMjgzNy00ZmQ2LTgxNzQtYmNiY2RkMWY3ZjEy&hl=en)", the document which was presented to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Those laughing at the suggestion that the underpasses be realigned, please look at Page 10, Recommendation 2, and then read on page 11 what the expert Karamat Ullah Chaudhry, former Managing Director, NESPAK, told in his email to the Committee. Here is what he said (from the link):

The reason I said the design was wrong was based on the fact that in these two underpasses
at Jail and Ferozepur Road, the traffic from the slow lane not wishing to enter the underpass
has to cross the fast lane if it wants to exit. Secondly, on the other side the traffic entering
the main flow coming out of the underpass enters the fast lane. … [I]f the vehicle is a
rickshaw how it can manage this…. Traffic wishing to leave or enter a main flow should
always do so from/to slow lane, or the lane on the left. If traffic enters the fast lane, it is
downright dangerous.


Anyway, going through the entire report would be a good idea :)

http://www.dailywaqt.com/290811/Images/p3-24.gif

CM okays Muslim Town flyover, Qainchi underpass

Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif has granted approval to the construction of a flyover at the Lahore Canal on Ferozepur Road (Muslim Town) and an underpass at Qainchi Stop near Chungi Amar Sidhu to be built by the city district government of Lahore.

Presiding over a meeting regarding development projects here on Sunday, the CM said that work was in progress to make Ferozepur Road a signal-free corridor. He said that Qainchi underpass would also help streamline traffic on this road. He said that another flyover at the Lahore Canal near F.C College would be built.

He formed a committee to generate additional resources for development projects besides ordering repair and rehabilitation of roads damaged due to construction of Kalma Chowk flyover at the earliest.

He directed that horticulture be promoted in the province and maximum trees be planted at the sites of development projects.

C&W secretary Major Azam Salman (retired) gave a detailed briefing regarding development projects.

MPAs Dr. Saeed Elahi and Hafiz Mian Nauman, Planning and Development Board chairman, NLC sector in charge, Lahore commissioner and DCO, PHA director-general and Nespak officials attended the meeting.

^^

According to City42 daily newspaper, in addition to flyover at Ferozpur road, a flyover will also be made at Icchra & in addition to underpass at Chungi Amar Sidhu, another underpass will be built at Model Town Morr. Feasibility work of these 4 projects will be done by NESPAK....

Nice... i will like signal free Feroz pur road.....!

LTC Bad Condition Buses Refinishing Scheme:

ZYwfUxlNrVw

1) Nah
2) Agreed, would eventually have to be done
3) i) May be some of 'em.
ii) Agreed.
4) Not possible
5) Gotta be a joke
6) Yeah, but that will not make things better
7) Wouldn't make a difference at the congestion points of canal road
8) I guess 20-30 Kmph is slow enough
9) Dude, read point number 8
10) Say what?
11) All possible efforts should be made
12) Dunno abt swimming but agreed.
13) Pedestrians, agreed. Bicyclists HOW?
14) WTH Seriously?
15) Kinda agree
16) Ahh...What?

1) Nah
2) Agreed, would eventually have to be done
3) i) May be some of 'em.
ii) Agreed.
4) Not possible
5) Gotta be a joke
6) Yeah, but that will not make things better
7) Wouldn't make a difference at the congestion points of canal road
8) I guess 20-30 Kmph is slow enough
9) Dude, read point number 8
10) Say what?
11) All possible efforts should be made
12) Dunno abt swimming but agreed.
13) Pedestrians, agreed. Bicyclists HOW?
14) WTH Seriously?
15) Kinda agree
16) Ahh...What?

:?

:?

Visit page#225

Plan to build food street near Badshahi Mosque yet to take off

Despite Punjab government’s decision to establish a food street behind the Badshahi Mosque to replace the one at Gawalmandi, no progress has been made on the proposed project.

After the closure of the Gawalmandi Food Street, the Punjab government planned to launch a new food street behind the Badshahi Mosque, hence, providing the food-loving Lahoris with another place where they could enjoy traditional food with family. Lahore District Coordination Officer (DCO) Ahad Khan Cheema had told the media around six months back that the CDGL would be building a new food street behind the Badshahi Mosque to cater the citizens’ taste for several desi and continental dishes that were previously present in Gawalmandi food street.

But the matter was still in limbo with no progress over the issue so far despite the fact that locals of the Shahi Mosque area had also welcomed the move. Ahad Cheema said that the Gawalmandi Food Street had been shut down due to public complaints but the people were of the view that closing down the Gawalmandi Food Street and the government’s inability to build a new food street was a major setback for food lovers.

The new food street is to comprise dozens of shops and stalls right behind the Badshahi Mosque, adjacent to the gate facing the Shahi Mohallah. The project was considered feasible because it was a lucrative venture and would provide the visitors with an artistic atmosphere because of the existing pieces of architecture in and around the place.

However, the critics alleged that the Punjab government was trying to discredit the works of Pervaiz Elahi government by shutting the Gawalmandi Food Street, owing to the rivalry existing between the Shairfs and the Chaudhrys. They said that delay in the development of a second food street was also because the idea was actually floated by the Chaudhrys and the PML-N was afraid of the fact that the credit would still go to them if a new food street was built.

It was also learnt that some businessmen having already established restaurants and food stalls in the Badshahi Mosque area were also influencing the idea of building a new food street since it would decrease value of their own shops and number of clients. Proper lights and decoration work on the building, which was to be a part of the food street was already done and the government as well as the locals had also built a tiled floor at the marked site to make the area look beautiful and different.

DCO Ahad Khan Cheema refused to talk on the issue despite several attempts of contact. Punjab government spokesperson Senator Pervez Rasheed also did not respond to the calls.

Kalma Chowk & Muslim Town Flyover Project :

2B9AaJy9LJ0

hCx6hyP5Rk8

ug8uEoJXYiw

^^ I have posted these videos in Kalma flyover thread

^^ Probably we have posted at the same time...

With reference to the cutting of trees on Canal Road and widening, a friend shared this on Facebook, a recollection of her experience living in Rawalpindi.

duno any specific details im afraid, more nostalgia than anything. this was some years back. the GT road passed infront of PC and became mall road, going past saddar in pindi then becoming peshawar road. has PC on it, the GHQ buildings, the big old church in pindi, the tiny cricket ground - the trees made a canopy much the same way they do over canal road. wonderful shade in the summers. ripped the trees out and made it a 4 lane instead of 2. perhaps it did improve traffic, i don't know but its all concrete as far as one can see, not the same old pindi.

I have not seen that oldRawalpindi, has any one else? Do you recall that? Can any one share old pictures?

I do know what an extremely frightening place the current Mall/Peshawar/G.T. Road now is, try visitig it for a refresher.

I do not want that to happen to Lahore, and we can prevent that from happening.

http://www.dailywaqt.com/060911/Images/p2-20.gif

According to City42, work on the design of flyover at Muslim Town Morr & underpass at Chungi Amr Sindhu started...

http://www.dailywaqt.com/060911/Images/p2-20.gif

So much money for Walled city only, doesnt sound right. What about the rest of the city!

Wait, how many dollars is that? US$ 400 million?

You kidding me? This money probably will be good for the entire city, not just the Androon Shehr? The reported messed up the place, or the numbers are wrong!

Dont forget 50% corruption

Dont forget 50% corruption

Don't forget its not PPP

ppp is 10%, pmln 50%

ppp is 10%, pmln 50%

You forgot to put '1' before 10% for PPP. PPP now is 110%...

ye i was talking about commission, corruption is 100% for both parties, get there dirty hands on anything that comes infront of them.

Yeah and rest of the parties are full of angels.

PML N is going far better than parties such as PPP and MQM.

^^ I don't like to comment about politics but I have to say something coz its about future of Paksitan,
PML-N does not set the standard which Pakistan needs: we need JUSTICE!!!

it was PML-N which introduced culture of corruption in 90s ( lifafa journalism, Qarzay muaaf krana, built their factories from public property, Land grabber, didn't make any Police reforms, education system hasn't got better, they introduced the culture of ballot rigging, don't want to declare their assets, don't want independent election commision )

so PML-N is not better than PPP, MQM... they are all same... Think outside the box.... there are far better options for Paksitan

some construction machinary seen today at muslim town canal crossing infront of INN canal resturant

no one said there are angels in other parties, they are as bad as each other, this system was made by behgarets for behgarets and its these same fools (pmln,ppp) that have made sure this corrupted system stays so they can continue to play moula jat in the parliment and infront of the people but behind the scenes there in bed, looting the country togeher and fooling the nation.

PML N is going far better than parties such as PPP and MQM.

agree :)

some construction machinary seen today at muslim town canal crossing infront of INN canal resturant

I was there last night and saw nothing, the movement of machinery might have taken place today morning, good news :banana:

I have seen on city42 that work for alternative ways for model town underpass and muslim town morr flyover has started

no one said there are angels in other parties, they are as bad as each other, this system was made by behgarets for behgarets and its these same fools (pmln,ppp) that have made sure this corrupted system stays so they can continue to play moula jat in the parliment and infront of the people but behind the scenes there in bed, looting the country togeher and fooling the nation.

what about MQM the blood suckrs of Karachi plus bhatta khor and target killers, they are the biggest single terrorist party in Pakistan.

^^ Okay, back to topic plz...

http://www.dailywaqt.com/060911/Images/p2-20.gif

79b2o0FVKNg

http://www.dailywaqt.com/100911/Images/p2-03.jpg

LDA to auction two plots for Finance and Trade Centre

Open auction of plots reserved for setting up a five star hotel and an international superstore in the Finance and Trade Centre, Johar Town, Lahore, will be held today (Saturday). The plots measure 114 kanals and 90 kanals respectively and will be auctioned at 10am in the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Community Centre, Ayubia Market, New Muslim Town, Lahore.

The Finance and Trade centre is being established by the LDA on 1,123 kanals of land, situated near Expo Centre, Johar Town. Out of this land, a superstore would be built on 90 kanals, a five star hotel on 114 kanals, bank square on 69 kanals, health club on 27 kanals, hospital on 25 kanals, mosque on five kanals, recreation area on 75 kanals, parking and mini golf club on 32 kanals and a park and lake on 42 kanals. About 40 kanals have been reserved for multi-storey apartments, eight kanals for the service area and 388 kanals for roads.

The commercial area of the centre would be 111 kanals and a corporate office and LDA tower would be built on 101 kanals. Beside allocating a sum of Rs 500 million for infrastructure, the LDA has decided to relax building bylaws to encourage construction of high rise buildings in the centre. The LDA will frame special building regulations for the business hub and work on the project will be initiated after a subsoil survey of the site and issuance of no-objection certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Finance and Trade Centre: LDA expects Rs2.5b from first auction

http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/248278-onlineauction-1315535132-196-640x480.jpg

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) will hold the first auction of properties at its Finance and Trade Centre (FTC) in Johar Town on September 10. LDA officials expect to generate around Rs2.5 billion from the first auction, and Rs12 billion overall.

Talking to The Express Tribune, an LDA official said that the decision to construct the centre was taken earlier this year after the chief minister directed the LDA to generate revenue for development projects in the city. “At this point, we cannot predict anything about the future of business or revenue from FTC as economic activities throughout the country are at a low.” The Punjab government had allocated Rs500 million in the 2011-2012 budget for the FTC.

Meanwhile, work on the recently announced Central Business District (CBD), which includes markets in Gulberg and on Jail Road, has slowed down due to shortage of funds.

Businesses in the CDB are worried about the delay this may cause in infrastructure improvement for the CBD.

An LDA official, who wished not to be named, said that since LDA hoped to generate funds from the FTC and CBD required funds from the authority, the former needed to be constructed and sold first. Hence, the authority is focusing at developing FTC before providing the approved infrastructure facilities to the business community of CBD.

“No one knows whether or not the FTC would be a success, even whether or not the next government will continue the project,” he said. He said that LDA could have generated more than Rs22 billion if it had developed the FTC itself instead of a bidder.

Waseem Ahmad Khan, the LDA chief metropolitan planner, said that the FTC will boost economic activities in the city. He said auctions will be completed within a year and the construction of roads will start in a couple of months.

The revenue from the auctions will be used to fund infrastructure development in the city.

Sheikh Saleem, the MM Alam Road Traders Association chairman, said that the LDA two years ago had promised the traders to provide infrastructure facilities in the CBD as its first priority. He regretted that the authority had backed out on its commitment.

“The traders’ association met the LDA’s director general in 2009 and were assured of completion of pending projects including construction of a fly over parallel to the Jinnah Flyover, dual carriage of MM Alam Road and parking plazas. So far, they constructed only one parking plaza,” he said.

An LDA spokesman said that the CBD and the FTC were unrelated. A part of the funds generated from the auction of FTC would be used for the completion of promised projects in the CBD, he added.

Planning and allotment
On the centre’s 1,123 kanals of land, a superstore will be built on 90 kanals, a five-star hotel on 114 kanals, a bank square on 69 kanals, a health club on 27 kanals, a hospital on 25 kanals, a mosque on five kanals, recreation area on 75 kanals, a parking lot and a mini golf club on 32 kanals and a park with a lake on 42 kanals. Some 40 kanals have been reserved for multi-storey apartments, eight kanals for service area and 388 kanals for roads. The commercial area in the centre would be on 111 kanals and a corporate office and an LDA tower on 101 kanals.

^^ SO it means Daewoo is eager to get out of CBD and move to this location; which actually makes sense since Motorway and all exits are just minutes away.

^^ Yes, it looks like, also their Bus Terminal looks abit awkward now with Kalma flyover completed. From Johar Town, they can reach TNB in 2-3 minutes through Southern Bypass & on motorway in 10-15 minutes through Lahore bypass...

I think for quicker progress of Lahore, CBD should be developed on urgent basis, starting with the work on signal free MB, Lahore can emerge as a great business hub.... hopefully...

Auction was on Sat. anyone knows auction results?

Auction was on Sat. anyone knows auction results?

According to City 42, auction postponed due to single bidder.

^^http://express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20110911/Sub_Images/1101329716-1.gif

Auction woes: No valid bids for Trade Centre plots
Published: September 11, 2011

Only one bidder shows up though LDA had postponed auction.
LAHORE:

Investors showed little interest in the Lahore Development Authority (LDA)’s auction of two plots for a hotel and a superstore in a new commercial zone in Johar Town on Saturday.

LDA officials were left red-faced at the lack of bidders at the auction, having previously postponed it in the hopes of attracting more investors.

This was the LDA’s first auction of plots –114 kanals for the hotel and 94 kanals for the superstore – in the planned Finance and Trade Centre in Johar Town. It set a base price of Rs1.2 billion for the hotel plot and Rs1.1 billion for the superstore plot. Officials had said they were hopeful of getting at least Rs2.5 billion from the auction.

But the signs were not good from the start. Scheduled to start at 10am, the auction did not begin until noon as officials waited for investors to arrive. Representatives of Daewoo International were present but had not made a security deposit and hence could not bid. Nishat Mills group director Mahmood Akhter, whose interest had apparently prompted organisers to postpone the auction from August 23 to September 10, did not attend.

The Punjab Old Age Benefits Institute (POBI) was the only company to make a security deposit (of Rs100 million) ahead of the auction, but was unable to bid since there was no competition. Under LDA rules, an auction requires at least two bidders. The Institute later withdrew its deposit.

LDA Director General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen was present in the Muslim Town community centre while the auction was being held, but never left his room. Other LDA officials refused to comment. They did not say if or when the auction would be held again.

POBI representatives said that they were disappointed that they had been unable to bid at the auction. They said they would take part in future auctions.

Daewoo spokesman Naeemullah told The Express Tribune that the company was interested in the superstore plot, but the price was too high and they had concerns about law and order in the country. He said that Daewoo had already invested Rs1 billion in the last year on developing bus terminals across the country.

He said Daewoo would be willing to buy the plot on a 20 per cent down payment and three-year repayment plan. It would then build the superstore and a bus terminal there. “It would be a major investment as the infrastructure would cost us millions,” he said.

Earlier, LDA officials had said they planned to use the revenue generated from the auction on other projects like the Model Town underpass on Ferozepur Road. They were not available to comment on how the auction’s failure would affect their plans.

^^ It was on the cards...:no:

Not a good news. But one thing is for sure the LDA didn't do a good job advertising this auction. ... no road show, no advertisement in the international news papers or even on the national TV. "DMKKH"

that's embarrassing hahahttp://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing024.gif
better they make some cricket ground because this is dead investment for some hotel who gonna live there. not me http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing025.gif

Not a good news. But one this for sure the LDA didn't do a good job advertising this auction. ... no road show, no advertisement in the international news papers or even on the national TV. "DMKKH"

quit right! if they would advertised on pk tv channels more people would had known about it, same as barhria town did for barhia enclave

Not a good news. But one thing is for sure the LDA didn't do a good job advertising this auction. ... no road show, no advertisement in the international news papers or even on the national TV. "DMKKH"

LDA doesnt know how to sell or advertise.

and for that matter punjab govt. No modern understanding of what a buyer wants or looks for when making a purchase.

Punjab govt. didnt manage to sell its Wheat Godowns, one in Industrial Area Gulberg, they didnt manage to sell a similar one in Badamibagh.

the Park and Ride plaza in Liberty market, they havent still managed to sell out all the shops, no one turns up there!

This is the record for the past year i recall. There are many reasons for this lack of confidence, and the basic problem is packaging of the product on sale. LDA and Punjab govt. just does not understand that.

agree... guess LDA is still full of old corrupt "babos"

Proof that jahalat comes in all shapes and sizes to all people learned or not.

Please say good bye to Lahore as you knew it.

Few years down the line would be a good time to ask if this was a worth decision. We will have ourselves to blame only.

A sad day.

Apex court approves Canal Road expansion project (http://tribune.com.pk/story/252926/apex-court-approves-canal-road-expansion-project/)

LAHORE: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has given a conditional green signal to the Canal Road expansion project, Express 24/7 reported Thursday.
A two-member bench of the court comprising Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had earlier reserved the judgment of the case on August 15.
In the court’s proceedings today, the expansion of the project was given a go-ahead on the condition that four saplings will be planted for every tree cut during the construction work.
Earlier conservationists and government officials did not seem to be satisfied with the project due to the reason that it required the felling of dozens of trees.
In this regard, SC had set up a mediation committee which was headed by Lawyer Parvez Hassan.
The Lahore Bachao Tehreek (LBT) had challenged the Punjab government’s decision of the expansion of Canal Road.

Edit

Proof that jahalat comes in all shapes and sizes to all people learned or not.

Please say good bye to Lahore as you knew it.

Few years down the line would be a good time to ask if this was a worth decision. We will have ourselves to blame only.

A sad day.

Apex court approves Canal Road expansion project (http://tribune.com.pk/story/252926/apex-court-approves-canal-road-expansion-project/)

LAHORE: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan has given a conditional green signal to the Canal Road expansion project, Express 24/7 reported Thursday.
A two-member bench of the court comprising Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had earlier reserved the judgment of the case on August 15.
In the court’s proceedings today, the expansion of the project was given a go-ahead on the condition that four saplings will be planted for every tree cut during the construction work.
Earlier conservationists and government officials did not seem to be satisfied with the project due to the reason that it required the felling of dozens of trees.
In this regard, SC had set up a mediation committee which was headed by Lawyer Parvez Hassan.
The Lahore Bachao Tehreek (LBT) had challenged the Punjab government’s decision of the expansion of Canal Road.


Time to celebrate guys!

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

Thanks God, judges realize the situation on ground realities. now hope fully i go to home with peaceful mind in coming months which is currently upset while traveling on this road.

hmmmm.... so they have funds for the expansion now....?

Time to celebrate guys!

:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

Yes please, celebrate your own demise, the demise of the health of your family and future generations, the slow demise of Lahore, its environment, the demise of all natural environment around you.

I think you missed it when they announced that Lahore is the most polluted city in Pakistan?

Yes please, celebrate your own demise, the demise of the health of your family and future generations, the slow demise of Lahore, its environment, the demise of all natural environment around you.

I think you missed it when they announced that Lahore is the most polluted city in Pakistan?

lahore is the place with most number of prostitutes. should we celebrate the situation of our life after death as well (?) as most lahories are not going to jannat anyway....

the extension will be good however right now its a complete waste of money with other projects being stacked and being left with mud and sand all over the place, our wazir-e buhat alaaa is a complete bufoon all he wants is to inaugrate new projects to get his name plate on them and than stops work after 30% is completed only to start a new one, however his strategy to fool people is working wonders.

right now the need of the hour is to put all funds in ring road and get the project finished, all other projects should come after.

the extension will be good however right now its a complete waste of money with other projects being stacked and being left with mud and sand all over the place, our wazir-e buhat alaaa is a complete bufoon all he wants is to inaugrate new projects to get his name plate on them and than stops work after 30% is completed only to start a new one, however his strategy to fool people is working wonders.

right now the need of the hour is to put all funds in ring road and get the project finished, all other projects should come after.

Can you please mention all those major projects that are being left with mud and sand all over the place? Don't mention Multan road, and also dont mention some random inter city roads since all those projects are being executed by TEPA,LDA or CDGL and provincial govt has nothing to do with those projects.

Let's celebrate with a huge banner saying "F U LBT"!!

Let's celebrate with a huge banner saying "F U LBT"!!

I concur. :)

Yes please, celebrate your own demise, the demise of the health of your family and future generations, the slow demise of Lahore, its environment, the demise of all natural environment around you.

I think you missed it when they announced that Lahore is the most polluted city in Pakistan?

1. There has to be a balance between the environment and development. Canal Bank Road is the only north-south artery in Lahore - it had to be expanded. I travel this road twice a day from my home to my office on The Mall and back. One has to suffer the delays to appreciate the expansion. None of the goons in Lahore Bachao Tehreek travel the Canal Bank Road on a daily basis.

2. The Canal Bank Road in its present form is doing more damage to the environment than an expanded road would do for the following reasons:

(i) Half a dozen bottlenecks on the road means traffic is jammed for longer hours resulting in greater CO2 emissions from the exhausts of idling cars that are stuck in traffic jams. More fuel is also expended, which is also bad for the environment.

(ii) 70% of the trees that will be felled in the road expansion are the Eucalyptus - the fastest growing tree in Pakistan, which is alien to this part of the world and was imported by the British from Australia during the Brithsh Raj. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has declared this tree to be bad for the environment as a fully grown Eucalyptus sucks 7 litres of underground water resulting in the lowering of the underground water table in areas where it is planted. That is the reason it is planted in waterlogged areas, i.e. to lower the water table.

3. Four indigenous trees will be planted for every tree that is felled. Lahore is now more green than it was ever before. Take pictures from the British Raj and see for yourself. It used to be a barren city. Even as late as the 1960s, there used to be regular dust storms, which have all but disappeared today.

4. If you look at the Lahore Ring Road more trees have been planted there than previously existed. The are is more greener than it was before. Islamabad is a case in point: barren land is now jungle. Margalla Hills were barren before Islamabad was developed, now they are full of flora and fauna. So development sometimes brings with it environmental benefits.

5. Lahore being the most polluted city in Pakistan is pure hogwash and that particular air test was discredited by other environmentalists.

I wonder LBT ever took a stand (or even planing to take) against the increasing pollution by the increasing number of chin chis and rikshaws in the city, and against unplanned housing societies continuously being launched in the green surroundings of the city, and against the waste management & drainage system in the city and f*8**8ing more environmental problems that currently are in the city :bash: but its only the canal road and the trees that always bother them!

the extension will be good however right now its a complete waste of money with other projects being stacked and being left with mud and sand all over the place, our wazir-e buhat alaaa is a complete bufoon all he wants is to inaugrate new projects to get his name plate on them and than stops work after 30% is completed only to start a new one, however his strategy to fool people is working wonders.

right now the need of the hour is to put all funds in ring road and get the project finished, all other projects should come after.

Fully agree with you.

I wonder LBT ever took a stand (or even planing to take) against the increasing pollution by the increasing number of chin chis and rikshaws in the city, and against unplanned housing societies continuously being launched in the green surroundings of the city, and against the waste management & drainage system in the city and f*8**8ing more environmental problems that currently are in the city :bash: but its only the canal road and the trees that always bother them!

Every ones gotta start somewhere, and this was their start. I agree that their focus should be bigger, but they are fighting for things in the immediate vicinity which effect us immediately.

They do argue for better public transport if you haven't read what they talk about, and they have certainly spoken against the ching chi rickshaws. Waste management and drainage are existing problems not new ones being created. What they were after was preventing further damage.

1. There has to be a balance between the environment and development. Canal Bank Road is the only north-south artery in Lahore - it had to be expanded. I travel this road twice a day from my home to my office on The Mall and back. One has to suffer the delays to appreciate the expansion. None of the goons in Lahore Bachao Tehreek travel the Canal Bank Road on a daily basis.

2. The Canal Bank Road in its present form is doing more damage to the environment than an expanded road would do for the following reasons:

(i) Half a dozen bottlenecks on the road means traffic is jammed for longer hours resulting in greater CO2 emissions from the exhausts of idling cars that are stuck in traffic jams. More fuel is also expended, which is also bad for the environment.

(ii) 70% of the trees that will be felled in the road expansion are the Eucalyptus - the fastest growing tree in Pakistan, which is alien to this part of the world and was imported by the British from Australia during the Brithsh Raj. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has declared this tree to be bad for the environment as a fully grown Eucalyptus sucks 7 litres of underground water resulting in the lowering of the underground water table in areas where it is planted. That is the reason it is planted in waterlogged areas, i.e. to lower the water table.

3. Four indigenous trees will be planted for every tree that is felled. Lahore is now more green than it was ever before. Take pictures from the British Raj and see for yourself. It used to be a barren city. Even as late as the 1960s, there used to be regular dust storms, which have all but disappeared today.

4. If you look at the Lahore Ring Road more trees have been planted there than previously existed. The are is more greener than it was before. Islamabad is a case in point: barren land is now jungle. Margalla Hills were barren before Islamabad was developed, now they are full of flora and fauna. So development sometimes brings with it environmental benefits.

5. Lahore being the most polluted city in Pakistan is pure hogwash and that particular air test was discredited by other environmentalists.


1. You assumed they are goons and that they dont travel this road. The fact that they LOVE this road is because they travel on it and they see that there is more to it than traffic jams! Dont cut off your nose cuz you have a flu man!

2.i. Bottle necks are not alleviated by widening. Bottle neck causes are other issues like poor design and engineering.

2.ii.That story about it being a water sucker is also BS. It is planted along the canal to prevent water logging in the surrounding areas. The eucalyptus planted there has a purpose.

3. You know for sure they will plant four indigenous trees? you missed the part where there is a difference between co2 output of a mature and a new tree. You forget the habitat for birds and insects that will be destroyed by the felling. UNEP never declared the eucalyptus a bad tree. you missed the dust storm this year. dust storm are generated by bigger weather cycles and they do still take place. you must have been travelling :)
Satellite images tell another story, Lahore and surroundings have lost their green cover and are now BROWN! I can share some images from last decade.

4. MORE trees on Ring Road? do they have a canopy? What is the canopy size? immature trees which are ornamental and shrubs do not classify as a Tree nor do they provide the same benefit. Does the ring road feel cool on a summer, does it offer shade like the canal road does? Margalla hills was not barren, but the land on which Islamabad was built on the foot of the hills was. There is a difference. But thanks for remembering that.

5. those who say it is hogwash are hogwashing you and others. One particular report might be discredited but the general trends can not be. Wait for these winters to see the fog caused by temperature inversion precipitated by the dust and particulate matter suspended in the air. Thats why doctors tell you not to stay out in the fog and breath it, despite how nice it smell and feels!

Ecology is more than just trees, there are ecosystems and symbioses, interdependent lives and systems. Failure to understand them and the inter linkages spells disaster.

Here is the Supreme Court judgement on the matter of canal road widening.

Suo Moto Case No. 25 of 2009
(Cutting of Trees for Canal Widening Project Lahore) (Suo Moto Case No. 25 of 2009 (Cutting of Trees for Canal Widening Project Lahore))

They basically agreed to everything in the report, declared the Canal area Urban Heritage Park, polluting in the canal is now a penal offence, underpasses and other geometric issues of traffic engineering are to be corrected as ordered by supreme court, service lanes fixed etc.

Of course, the clause which asked for a 3km section to be widened is to be implemented too, so some of the road will be widened.

Win some lose some, but some lessons learnt for the next fight whatever it might be :-P

And everyone, please go plant a tree outside your house. I planted 10, all died due to sui gas leakage in the soil! Will try again!

Let's celebrate with a huge banner saying "F U LBT"!!

Actually, they got 16 of their 17 recommendation approved and ordered to be implemented by the Supreme Court. So errr, why?!

lahore is the place with most number of prostitutes. should we celebrate the situation of our life after death as well (?) as most lahories are not going to jannat anyway....

Someones counting ;)

Can you please mention all those major projects that are being left with mud and sand all over the place? Don't mention Multan road, and also dont mention some random inter city roads since all those projects are being executed by TEPA,LDA or CDGL and provincial govt has nothing to do with those projects.

Are we talking about WHO is doing the project or we we talking about WHAT project is being done?

Is Punjab Govt. a holy entity who never messes up! Multan road and all random inter city roads count as projects.

Selective bias eh?

I love trees, I really, really do. Its one of Lahore's strong points over Karachi, the greenery it has. But development cannot be compromised because there are trees in the way. In the US I saw many huge wooded areas cleared for highways. The report on the last page says that the judges have ordered that 4 trees be planted for every tree cut down. Now even if they plant half as many trees as they cut down, and the road is widened and there is no longer traffic congestion/jams on this road, then the overall effect on the environment will be +ve. The needless burning of fuel will be a problem of the past.

^^ i agree....

Are we talking about WHO is doing the project or we we talking about WHAT project is being done?

Is Punjab Govt. a holy entity who never messes up! Multan road and all random inter city roads count as projects.

Selective bias eh?

That is not an answer to what I asked, it would be much better if you just ignore the posts for which you do not have any proper replies instead of quoting the post of each and every user on this thread.

Selective bias, yeah my foot!

Its common sense. Anyone who's throwing a tantrum and trying to prevent development (in a country where tax-payers get little return for their money!) should STFU & GTFO. This Lahore Bacaho Tehrik should be happy with the announcement that more trees will be planted than there are now, and expend its energies in making sure this order is carried out, not oppose the widening unconditionally. How I hate NIMBY's

After reading everyone's comments, all i can say to LBT is....
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SUCK IT, loooooosers

whats LBT....lesbian , bi , transgender?? do we really have them in lahore!!?? gosh....they should be annihilated :(

they just remind me of those deonbandis who talk about islam and worked against creation of pakistan, who take dandas on new year, but never raise a petition against the red light area. the hypocrates.

LAHORE:

The widening of Canal Road will begin as soon as Saturday (tomorrow) on the section of the road from Jinnah Hospital to The Mall, said Communication and Works Department officials.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif told C&W officials that they would be in charge of the project a week before the Supreme Court finally announced its verdict on Thursday on a petition challenging the plans to add an extra lane to each side of the road.

“We were told to start the construction work within 48 hours of the [Supreme Court] decision … hopefully the work will start from tomorrow,” said M Amjad, deputy secretary for project coordination at the C&W Department.

He said work would begin on the Jinnah Hospital to The Mall section because that was the busiest. The section from Thokar Niaz Baig to Jinnah Hospital would be widened next.

Amjad said that the chief minister had tasked the C&W Department with executing the project because of its performance in building the Kalma Chowk flyover in record time. “We will try to finish this quickly also,” he said.

Officials of the C&W Department, the National Logistics Cell, the builder for this project, and the National Engineering Services of Pakistan held meetings and visited sites after the Supreme Court announced its decision. The Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning Agency (TEPA) had previously been in charge of the project.

Tepa Chief Engineer Saifur Rehman said that he had heard that the C&W Department had been put in charge but they had received no official notification to this effect.

The Punjab government first decided to widen the road in 2006 when Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was chief minister. It gained clearance from the Environmental Protection Department in July 2007 and the Planning and Development Department approved Rs1.56 billion for the widening of the road from Thokar Niaz Beg to Dharampura in early 2008.

The current government headed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif revived the plans in 2009 in view of the increasing traffic load, approving the ‘remodelling’ of the road from Thokar to the Harbanspura interchange, but the estimated project cost by that time had swelled to Rs3.5 billion.

The road will now be widened in sections as per the orders of the Supreme Court, unlike before when the plan was to start work on the whole road simultaneously, said Israr Saeed, Tepa’s director for traffic engineering.

Saeed, who had been in charge of the project when it was in Tepa hands, said that around 3.5km of the road would widened at a cost of Rs900 million. The project will benefit 200,000 commuters, he said, and ease the traffic flow on the Canal and surrounding roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2011.

Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/253318/ready-to-build-construction-work-to-begin-tomorrow/

That is not an answer to what I asked, it would be much better if you just ignore the posts for which you do not have any proper replies instead of quoting the post of each and every user on this thread.

Selective bias, yeah my foot!

I asked you a question SH and you are not answering it. I am questioning your reasoning and you are not reasoning with me.

I quote posts because this is a discussion forum and I am having a discussion for which many of you dont have answers. I give logical arguments, with links and references. With very few exceptions people go through those or even botherdebating them.

Some people are here only for the RANTS!

Its common sense. Anyone who's throwing a tantrum and trying to prevent development (in a country where tax-payers get little return for their money!) should STFU & GTFO. This Lahore Bacaho Tehrik should be happy with the announcement that more trees will be planted than there are now, and expend its energies in making sure this order is carried out, not oppose the widening unconditionally. How I hate NIMBY's

brightside, i hope you had gone through LBT's arguments before commenting. Are you aware of what the arguments were?

I can tell you they are happy n ow...95% happy according to the supreme court judgement if any one bothered reading.

You can also read the Supreme Courts comments on what they think of Lahore Bachao Tehreek and affiliated organizations. They have PRAISED them.

Yes this would be a surprise to some.

Every development has a cost and that has to be weighed against cost and benefits. That analysis has to be holistic and not myopic and should plan for the longer term.

That has been the argument all along.

whats LBT....lesbian , bi , transgender?? do we really have them in lahore!!?? gosh....they should be annihilated :(

they just remind me of those deonbandis who talk about islam and worked against creation of pakistan, who take dandas on new year, but never raise a petition against the red light area. the hypocrates.

I am curious why you call them hypocrites?

This is the widening recommended in the Mediation Committee Report (http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/user_files/File/SMCNo25of2009.pdf):

Mall Road to Jail Road … 525 M (Eastern)
460 M (Western)
? Jail Road to F.C. College… 550 M (Eastern)
… 550 M (Western)
? University Campus to Jinnah Hospital… 1,700 M (Eastern)
… 1,700 M (Western)
? Jinnah Hospital to Doctors Hospital… 700 M (Eastern)
… 750 M (Western)


This is the Supreme court verdict: (page 62, above link)

(ii) Widening of the road on both sides of the Canal Bank shall be
in accord with the report submitted by the Mediation
Committee;
(iii) Necessary corrections/modification of some of the underpasses
on the Canal Road shall be carried out as suggested in the
report of the Mediation Committee;
(iv) Proper Traffic Management Program shall be made and given
effect to;
(v) Further improvement in public transport system shall be
ensured;
(vi) Where needed and as recommended by the Committee,
re-engineering of the junctions along the Canal Bank would be
undertaken;
(vii) The service roads along certain parts of the Canal Road shall
be constructed/improved;
(viii) Report of the Mediation Committee shall be implemented as
agreed by the respondent-Provincial Government in letter and
spirit;
(ix) Respondent-Provincial Government and TEPA shall ensure
that minimum damage is caused to green belt and every tree
cut would be replaced by four trees of the height of 6/7 feet and
this replacement when commenced and completed shall be
notified through press releases for information of general
public, copies of which would be sent to the Registrar of this
Court for our perusal; and...

Here's what I've learnt from an inside source:

1. The Canal Bank Road will be widened into a 6-lane road (3-lanes on each side) from Thokar Niaz Beg to The Mall. Subsequently, the 6-lanes will be extended all the way up to the Lahore Ring Road Interchange from The Mall.

2. The Canal Bank Road will be turned into a signal-free corridor from Thokar Niaz Beg to the Lahore Ring Road Interchange.

3. The widening will be undertaken in stages to minimize traffic disruptions.

4. The Ferozepur Road and Jail Road Underpasses, which were incorrectly built, will be deconstructed and reconstructed correctly, with the underpasses on the canal side instead of the outer side.

5. Four trees will be planted along the Canal for every tree that is felled and their growth will be monitored. Eucalyptus trees that are felled will be replaced with indigenous trees.

Of course, the clause which asked for a 3km section to be widened is to be implemented too, so some of the road will be widened.

That's an understatement. The Canal Bank Road from Thokar Niaz Beg to The Mall will be turned into a 6-lane signal-free corridor.

And everyone, please go plant a tree outside your house. I planted 10, all died due to sui gas leakage in the soil! Will try again!

I have successfully planted over 100 trees on my farm house in Lahore (which was once tree-less barren agricultural land) over a period of 12 years, including trees imported from Thailand (Casuarina) and California (California Pine). Every year on my birthday, I plant trees equal to the number of my years and I have been doing that since 1993. Most of these have matured into trees. Additionally, I've planted over 500 pine saplings in the Bhurban-Murree area over a period of 20 years with my own hands, most of which have grown into trees and I visit them annually. I've planted 10 pine saplings on the hill near the Monal Restaurant on the Margalla Hills and they are 2 years old now. And I plan to plant one pine sapling in the Margalla Hills each time I go to the Monal for lunch. I'm one of only two persons who has successfully grown a Juniper sapling in Lahore brought from Ziarat, Balochistan. The tree is now 12 years old. I recovered it from an area where a disease infected patch of Juniper trees was being felled to protect the rest of the forest.

Also, one of my clients, which was a company setting up a factory in Sundar Industrial Estate, Lahore, was ordered by the Environment Protecton Department to plant 10,000 tree saplings in Lahore District through the Forestry Department to offset the carbon footprint. Now as you may know, this is never done and forest department inspectors are usually paid off to give a false report that the same has been done. I made sure that every one of the 10,000 saplings was planted and the company financed the project, which took 3 months (we had a hard time finding land to plant 10,000 saplings 10 feet apart and 17 separate sites were chosen all over Lahore District).

Yet, I'm in favour of the Lahore Ring Road Project, the Canal Bank Road widening project and the Kalma Chowk project. There are two types of environmentalists my friend, those who simply talk the talk (and very loudly) and play the role of anti-development trolls and those who walk the talk. LBT comprises the former.

@Shameel.... You must be a rich man.... :D

It is amusing to see that every conspiracy of LBT to stop the development work in Lahore has been unsuccessful. The latest defeat at legal front has bewildered them and they are calling it a success....buhahahahaha

@Shameel, good going man, the tree planting thinggi! I am sure then you can feel the pain if some very beautiful mature trees which create beautiful scenes were to get the chop? Think of your Juniper that you saved! But well, what we choose to value varies.

The 6 lane thinggi all the way to the ring road might happen, and Lahore would pay the price for it, with a highway in the middle of the city. And this may well happen since i didnt see any enforcement mechanism prescribed by the courts decision, and if it does get done, then that will be a slap in the face of the Supreme Court judgement.

P.S. how come the love for trees and the involvement? Professionally involved?

It is amusing to see that every conspiracy of LBT to stop the development work in Lahore has been unsuccessful. The latest defeat at legal front has bewildered them and they are calling it a success....buhahahahaha

just say it...say it...yeh bhi amreeka ki saazish hai!!

I can give you a history of how this entire battle played out and the demands that LBT walas gave. most of them made a part of the Mediation Committee Report. The court almost in its entirety asked that the canal road be dealt with according to the recommendations in the report since the Punjab govt. fully accepted the report. Their major arguments were recognized by the court. The Canal and its green belts are now an Urban Heritage Park

So that is why they think they got a good deal out of this judgement.

It is hence amusing that you see the other way round?

That's an understatement. The Canal Bank Road from Thokar Niaz Beg to The Mall will be turned into a 6-lane signal-free corridor.



I have successfully planted over 100 trees on my farm house in Lahore (which was once tree-less barren agricultural land) over a period of 12 years, including trees imported from Thailand (Casuarina) and California (California Pine). Every year on my birthday, I plant trees equal to the number of my years and I have been doing that since 1993. Most of these have matured into trees. Additionally, I've planted over 500 pine saplings in the Bhurban-Murree area over a period of 20 years with my own hands, most of which have grown into trees and I visit them annually. I've planted 10 pine saplings on the hill near the Monal Restaurant on the Margalla Hills and they are 2 years old now. And I plan to plant one pine sapling in the Margalla Hills each time I go to the Monal for lunch. I'm one of only two persons who has successfully grown a Juniper sapling in Lahore brought from Ziarat, Balochistan. The tree is now 12 years old. I recovered it from an area where a disease infected patch of Juniper trees was being felled to protect the rest of the forest.

Also, one of my clients, which was a company setting up a factory in Sundar Industrial Estate, Lahore, was ordered by the Environment Protecton Department to plant 10,000 tree saplings in Lahore District through the Forestry Department to offset the carbon footprint. Now as you may know, this is never done and forest department inspectors are usually paid off to give a false report that the same has been done. I made sure that every one of the 10,000 saplings was planted and the company financed the project, which took 3 months (we had a hard time finding land to plant 10,000 saplings 10 feet apart and 17 separate sites were chosen all over Lahore District).

Yet, I'm in favour of the Lahore Ring Road Project, the Canal Bank Road widening project and the Kalma Chowk project. There are two types of environmentalists my friend, those who simply talk the talk (and very loudly) and play the role of anti-development trolls and those who walk the talk. LBT comprises the former.

I salute your effort Shahmeel :applause:

Everybody loves greenery and trees, in recent months my effort in this regard was the plantation of only 6 trees at my work place and turned some barren and ugly land into clean and green land by planting grass. I know its not enough but still some thing is better than nothing and I plan to do it on a larger scale.

C & W has started cutting trees from FC underpass to Jail road underpass, so the work has started....:banana:

C & W has started cutting trees from FC underpass to Jail road underpass, so the work has started....:banana:

Yayy .. just passed from here .. got stuck in traffic queue but loved to see that PHA was cutting down trees speedily :D :banana: :banana: :banana:

wow.... wow.... so they are super fast in completing this project.....^^

wow.... wow.... so they are super fast in completing this project.....^^

Calm down. It has only started yet.

yep ... it was a repost so here is a cat instead ...

http://c.editingmyspace.com/files/en/cats/cat_059.jpg

^^ Repost.

:cheer::banana2::cucumber::cucumber::cucumber::pepper::pepper::carrot::carrot::banana::banana::banana::banana::cucumber::cucumber::cucumber:

Supreme Court restricts canal road widening

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Thursday, while announcing the judgment on cutting of trees for the Lahore Canal Bank Road widening project, said that the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian (BRB) Canal and the greenbelt on both sides of it from Jallo Park to Thokar Niaz Baig is a Public Trust.

It should be treated as Heritage Urban Park forthwith and declared so by an Act to be passed by the Assembly as undertaken by the Punjab provincial government. The widening of the road on both sides of the canal bank should be in accordance with the report submitted by the mediation committee and should be implemented in letter and spirit. The court after various hearings had reserved the judgment on August 15, 2011, which was announced by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, the author judge, at the courtroom on Thursday.

The Punjab government and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) have been asked to ensure that minimum damage is caused to the greenbelt and every tree cut is replaced by four trees of the height of 6/7 feet, and this replacement when commenced and completed should be notified through press releases for information of general public and the copies of that should be sent to the Registrar of the apex court.

The judgment said that the elaborate measures should be taken to ensure that the canal is kept clean and free of pollution, urging to avoid throwing litter and discharge of any pollutant in the canal, while declaring it a penal offence. The Punjab chief secretary was directed that a comprehensive action plan be prepared in this regard by the department concerned and report should be submitted to the court Registrar within six weeks.

The judgment also stated that the necessary correction/modification of some of the underpasses on the canal road shall be carried out as suggested in the report of the mediation committee. Proper traffic management programme shall be made and given effect to further improvement in public transport system shall be ensured. Where needed and as recommended by the committee, re-engineering of the junctions along the canal bank would be undertaken. The service roads along certain parts of the Canal Road shall be constructed and improved.

The Lahore Bachao Tehrik (LBT) had challenged the project of widening of a 14-km-long section of the Canal Bank Road falling between Dharampura Underpass and Thokar Niaz Baig. The petitioner, LBT, had contended that the project would destroy the greenbelt and park on both sides of BRB, and would also fail to solve the traffic congestion problem at the Canal Bank Road. It argued that the issue of traffic congestion can be resolved by complying with urban town planning and sustainable urban transport, which include public transportation as a major alternative to private transportation.

Staff Reporter from Lahore adds: The Lahore Bachao Tehrik highly appreciated the Supreme Court decision.
LBT Convener Imrana Tiwana, Mediation Committee Secretary Rafay Alam, Lahore Conservation Society President Kamal Khan Mumtaz and WWF Director General Ali Habib, said while giving their reaction that the SC in its decision has recognised the cultural and ecological significance of this landmark area, stating it to be crucial to the wellbeing of the citizens of Lahore.

The office holders of the LBT, which was initiated in 2004, termed their endouvour a landmark citizens’ movement which highlighted critical environmental issues and human rights in the city of Lahore. Spanning six years, the results have reached a wide spectrum of society, mobilising citizens and institution as watchdogs for the sustainable development of this historic city. Due to this movement, the citizens of Lahore were empowered to effect a critical difference to the future of Lahore. The Supreme Court has recognised that “this was a living testimony to a vibrant civil society”, they observed.

They said that the movement looked forward to the government implementing the SC directions with diligence. “We pledge to continue informed and responsible action faithful to the principles demonstrated by the six-year citizens’ movement. The people of Lahore will continue their commitment and efforts to preserve and protect the historic city of Lahore.”

Dr Pervez Hassan, Chairman of the seven-member committee set up by the SC to find out ways and means to protect the trees and the environment of the city thereof in the road widening project of 2009, said the committee is pleased with the SC decision as all the 19 recommendations of his committee have been adopted.

He said his committee has also recommended for observing pedestrians day on the canal from Jallo Park to Tokar Niaz Beg one day a month when no traffic but only people on foot will enjoy the beauty of canal. He said instead of widening the road and cutting down trees in the process, the problem of traffic could be addressed by correcting faulty construction of two underpasses, putting the service roads to better use and ring road areas. He said he also recommended for declaring the canal road for the people instead of the motorists and any development of the same should be undertaken with that consideration. The SC decision has given the canal back to the citizens of Lahore, he concluded.

:dance:

Update : just had to take a detour , East canal is closed from Jail Rd till FCC Underpass totally. They are cutting down trees so that they can open the road before morning. Its going to be a pain till this is omplete but its worth it.

just say it...say it...yeh bhi amreeka ki saazish hai!!

I can give you a history of how this entire battle played out and the demands that LBT walas gave. most of them made a part of the Mediation Committee Report. The court almost in its entirety asked that the canal road be dealt with according to the recommendations in the report since the Punjab govt. fully accepted the report. Their major arguments were recognized by the court. The Canal and its green belts are now an Urban Heritage Park

So that is why they think they got a good deal out of this judgement.

It is hence amusing that you see the other way round?


Hey BABY... i call the LBT conspirators because they have opposed and tried to stop every major development work in Lahore in recent years. I perfectly know that these bunch of burger class mummy daddys wish to gain attention of foreign donors in the capacity of NGO. One major achievement by LBT and flow of dollars is ensured. thats what the fuss is all about.

I am saying it with conviction because i too joined an NGO in yester-years and joined for a cause, but very soon realised and once actually told by the head of NGO that their real business was $$$ and factually today they are making $$$$$$$.

About the bla bla of report... did i ever say i am against environment, trees or plantation???? NOOOOOOO

I just pointed out that the goons of LBT got defeated at their prime agenda point, i.e. stop development work in Lahore. pu**ies

i have heard SS on a news channel... he was saying that service road will also be built along canal road and ten times more trees will be planted.... :)

:cheer::banana2::cucumber::cucumber::cucumber::pepper::pepper::carrot::carrot::banana::banana::banana::banana::cucumber::cucumber::cucumber:

Supreme Court restricts canal road widening

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Thursday, while announcing the judgment on cutting of trees for the Lahore Canal Bank Road widening project, said that the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian (BRB) Canal and the greenbelt on both sides of it from Jallo Park to Thokar Niaz Baig is a Public Trust.

It should be treated as Heritage Urban Park forthwith and declared so by an Act to be passed by the Assembly as undertaken by the Punjab provincial government. The widening of the road on both sides of the canal bank should be in accordance with the report submitted by the mediation committee and should be implemented in letter and spirit. The court after various hearings had reserved the judgment on August 15, 2011, which was announced by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, the author judge, at the courtroom on Thursday.

The Punjab government and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) have been asked to ensure that minimum damage is caused to the greenbelt and every tree cut is replaced by four trees of the height of 6/7 feet, and this replacement when commenced and completed should be notified through press releases for information of general public and the copies of that should be sent to the Registrar of the apex court.

The judgment said that the elaborate measures should be taken to ensure that the canal is kept clean and free of pollution, urging to avoid throwing litter and discharge of any pollutant in the canal, while declaring it a penal offence. The Punjab chief secretary was directed that a comprehensive action plan be prepared in this regard by the department concerned and report should be submitted to the court Registrar within six weeks.

The judgment also stated that the necessary correction/modification of some of the underpasses on the canal road shall be carried out as suggested in the report of the mediation committee. Proper traffic management programme shall be made and given effect to further improvement in public transport system shall be ensured. Where needed and as recommended by the committee, re-engineering of the junctions along the canal bank would be undertaken. The service roads along certain parts of the Canal Road shall be constructed and improved.

The Lahore Bachao Tehrik (LBT) had challenged the project of widening of a 14-km-long section of the Canal Bank Road falling between Dharampura Underpass and Thokar Niaz Baig. The petitioner, LBT, had contended that the project would destroy the greenbelt and park on both sides of BRB, and would also fail to solve the traffic congestion problem at the Canal Bank Road. It argued that the issue of traffic congestion can be resolved by complying with urban town planning and sustainable urban transport, which include public transportation as a major alternative to private transportation.

Staff Reporter from Lahore adds: The Lahore Bachao Tehrik highly appreciated the Supreme Court decision.
LBT Convener Imrana Tiwana, Mediation Committee Secretary Rafay Alam, Lahore Conservation Society President Kamal Khan Mumtaz and WWF Director General Ali Habib, said while giving their reaction that the SC in its decision has recognised the cultural and ecological significance of this landmark area, stating it to be crucial to the wellbeing of the citizens of Lahore.

The office holders of the LBT, which was initiated in 2004, termed their endouvour a landmark citizens’ movement which highlighted critical environmental issues and human rights in the city of Lahore. Spanning six years, the results have reached a wide spectrum of society, mobilising citizens and institution as watchdogs for the sustainable development of this historic city. Due to this movement, the citizens of Lahore were empowered to effect a critical difference to the future of Lahore. The Supreme Court has recognised that “this was a living testimony to a vibrant civil society”, they observed.

They said that the movement looked forward to the government implementing the SC directions with diligence. “We pledge to continue informed and responsible action faithful to the principles demonstrated by the six-year citizens’ movement. The people of Lahore will continue their commitment and efforts to preserve and protect the historic city of Lahore.”

Dr Pervez Hassan, Chairman of the seven-member committee set up by the SC to find out ways and means to protect the trees and the environment of the city thereof in the road widening project of 2009, said the committee is pleased with the SC decision as all the 19 recommendations of his committee have been adopted.

He said his committee has also recommended for observing pedestrians day on the canal from Jallo Park to Tokar Niaz Beg one day a month when no traffic but only people on foot will enjoy the beauty of canal. He said instead of widening the road and cutting down trees in the process, the problem of traffic could be addressed by correcting faulty construction of two underpasses, putting the service roads to better use and ring road areas. He said he also recommended for declaring the canal road for the people instead of the motorists and any development of the same should be undertaken with that consideration. The SC decision has given the canal back to the citizens of Lahore, he concluded.

:dance:

:wallbash::wallbash::wallbash::wallbash::wallbash:

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LHC allows parking plaza, library at Doongi Ground

A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), on Friday, while disposing of different petitions allowed the Punjab government to construct a parking plaza, library and bowling alley on 18 percent of the 39 kanal area of Doongi Ground, Gulberg, while the remaining area would still serve as a public park.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Justice Sh Azmat Saeed, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Nasir Saeed Sheikh and Justice Asad Munir on June 20 had reserved the judgement, which it announced on Friday.

Former Punjab chief minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi had started the project in 2006, with the aim of constructing a multi-million project of IMAX theatre and a shopping mall at the Doongi Ground.

A Karachi-based NGO Shehri-CBE (Citizens for Better Environment), Journalist Ardeshir Cowasjee and 11 residents of the area had moved the petitions challenging the project.

Justice Saeed Akhtar had stopped construction on the project through a stay order on February 23, 2006. A division bench of LHC had vacated the stay order on March 9 but the Supreme Court had restored the stay order and remanded it to LHC with directions that a larger bench should hear the case.

Then, in 2010, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had approved the construction of library, gymnasium and bowling alley. Later, the Punjab government through its lawyer Raja Salman Akram had moved an application seeking permission for the said project.

The Punjab government’s counsel informed the court that only 18 percent of the total ground area would be used for construction purposes, while the rest of the site would remain “uncovered” playground area.

However, the petitioners’ counsel, Muhammad Azhar Siddique, opposed the theatre’s construction and said that the Doongi Ground had been earmarked as a public park in the original scheme designed for Gulberg before partition. Hence, the site could not be used for any commercial purpose. He said recreational facilities such as parks and playgrounds were rapidly reducing in the city due to “commercialisation” and the court should take protective measures in this regard.

He submitted that the government wanted to cover up corruption of millions of rupees in the project. He said that before 2008 general election, Shahbaz Sharif had publicly announced that original status of the park would be restored. He said that the LHC could not go beyond the parameters set by the SC through its order.

Siddique also submitted that the project was illegal and no-objection certificate had been obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The petitioners had also challenged Doongi Ground’s transfer of ownership from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), and finally to the Punjab Entertainment Company (PEC). The whole ownership transfer process is “flawed” and was carried out in blatant violation of the law, it stated. On August 8, 2006, a single bench of the LHC had stopped the provincial government and the PEC from continuing constructing the theatre. The stay order was vacated on March 9 by the LHC division bench and construction work was resumed. However, the petitioners moved another petition in the SC, which again stopped the construction work and referred the matter to the LHC for its disposal in accordance with the law.

Raja, however, argued that the project contained huge investment opportunities and permission must be given to complete the projects of public utility on the land.

Shahbaz Sharif has laid the foundation stone of Canal road widening project. It will complete in 90 days. Total length of road widening will be around 3.5 kms. This project has been divided into 4 phases:
Phase I = From Mall road to Jail road
Phase II = From Jail road to FC Underpass
Phase III = From PU Underpass to Jinnah Hospital
Phase IV = From Jinnah Hospital to Doctors Hospital

Shahbaz lays foundation stone of canal road project

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has said that the provincial government was paying special attention to the improvement of infrastructure in the province. Addressing foundation laying ceremony of the canal road widening project near FC College here on Saturday, he said, widening of canal road was essential due to the increasing traffic rush on the road, therefore, the project of widening of the road has been started in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court which would be completed in a record period of 90 days.

Shahbaz said that best traffic plan was made during the construction of Kalma flyover. He directed the authorities concerned that complete arrangements for bus lane of international standard would be made and excellent pedestrian bridges be constructed at different places on canal road.

Earlier, Secretary Communication and Works Maj.® Azam Salman Khan and Director General PHA Abdul Jabbar Shaheen gave briefings about widening of canal bank road and horticulture plan respectively.

He said that project of widening of canal road would cost Rs 1.5 billion and this project would be completed within stipulated time by working round the clock.

:banana:

hmmmm..... 90 days for one phase or whole project from TNB to Dharampura???

^^ Obviously for whole project...

the 4 phases you mentioned dont show TNB and Dharampura??

which is the dongi ground in gulberg??

the 4 phases you mentioned dont show TNB and Dharampura??

Thats what I saw on City42. I think they will made service roads from Doctors Hospitals to TNB...

which is the dongi ground in gulberg??

Opposite Dockors & Levis store...

Thats what I saw on City42. I think they will made service roads from Doctors Hospitals to TNB...

If they don't widen the Doctors Hospital-TNB section into six lanes it will create a huge bottleneck even with service roads.

The government will ask the Supreme Court to review its decision in the Canal Road widening case to also allow the expansion of the section from Doctors Hospital to Thokar Niaz Beg, said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony for the project, the chief minister said that unless this section of the road was also expanded, the traffic congestion problem would not be resolved. He said that the road was a bottleneck to traffic entering Lahore and would remain so unless this section was also widened.
“We will not touch this part without the court’s permission,” he added. “We hope the court will accept our humble request and allow us to go through with the rest of the project.”
Communication and Works (C&W) Department officials said the project would take at least 120 days to complete, but the chief minister urged them to finish it in 90 days. He said the road was the busiest in Lahore and traffic jams on the Canal affected dozens of other roads. He urged drivers to be patient and cooperative while work on the road was going on.
Earlier, the C&W secretary briefed the chief minister about the project, which will cost Rs1.5 billion. A total of 3.525 kilometres of road will be widened, in four stages: from The Mall to Jail Road; from Jail Road to FC College; from the Punjab University to Jinnah Hospital; and from Jinnah Hospital to Doctors Hospital.
The Planning and Development Department will disburse funds for the project, the National Logistics Cell is the contractor, the National Engineering Services of Pakistan the consultant, and the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) will assist the C&W Department in executing the project.
Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Director General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen told the chief minister that workers had started chopping down 568 trees in the green belts on either side of the Canal to create space for the extra lanes. He said that the PHA was complying with the Supreme Court’s orders to plant four trees for each one cut down and had arranged for the plantation of 2,272 saplings.
These saplings, he said, would be planted in the area between the Mughalpura and Harbanspura underpasses.
Traffic will be diverted onto the service lanes while the work continues, said City Traffic Police Officer Captain Ahmad Mobin in his briefing on the traffic plan.
He said that 1.5 lanes on the main road will also be open to traffic, but only to public transport and school vans. Private vehicles would be instructed to only use the service lanes.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2011.

Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/254603/canal-road-expansion-shahbaz-sets-90-day-target-as-work-begins/

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Hajveri Heights, Liberty Market, Lahore

A Project of Feroze Khan Construction (Pvt) Limited

Lower Ground Floor = Shops
Ground Floor = Shops
First Floor = Shops
Second Floor = Shops
Third Floor = Offices
Fourth Floor = Apartments

Balding of Canal Road begins

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As the balding process for the Canal Road has begun, about 1,000 trees would be axed from Thokar Niaz Baig to Dharampura strech of the road. According to PHA officials, 111 trees have already been axed.

The project has been started again after the Supreme Court allowed the provincial government to undertake the project by causing minimum damage to the greenbelt on Thursday. The SC allowed the government to restore the Canal Road widening project to minimise the traffic woes.

The initial plan to stretch the road was 14 kilometers but now only 3.5 km section of the road would be widened. The PHA authorities have started cutting trees along the Canal Bank Road from FC College Underpass to The Mall Road Underpass. The PHA officials said that the trees would also be cut from Doctors’ Hospital to Campus Underpasses. The officials said that 450 skilled workers of the PHA were busy in the tree cutting with the help of heavy machinery and the work would be completed in ten days. They claimed that 4,000 trees would be planted in place of 1,000.

The officials said that the Punjab government had initially tasked Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) to carry out this project but it recently appointed the Communication and Works Department (C&WD) to execute the project. The TEPA and the PHA would assist the C&W department in this regard. They said they were tasked to cut 1,000 trees but they were redesigning the feasibility to cause minimum damage to the greenbelt.

The officials said around 42 feet width would be made available for the widening of the road, adding they were also compiling data of tree, their size and covered area etc. The government had allocated Rs 10 million in the provincial budget 2011-2012 for the project. The Canal Road widening project has been resumed in the light of guidelines drafted by the committee formed by Supreme Court of Pakistan. It may be mentioned here that the project has been hanging in the balance since 2007 and Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo moto action in 2009 after the civil society and environmentalists raised their concerns on the project.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said best infrastructure is of great importance for promotion of economic and trade activities and rapid development, and the Punjab government is paying special attention to the improvement of infrastructure in the province.

He added that widening of canal road was utmost essential due to the increasing traffic rush on the canal road; therefore, the project had been started in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court which would be completed in a record period of 90 days by working round the clock.

He was addressing a foundation laying ceremony of the canal road widening project near FC College here on Saturday. MPAs Shahzadi Umarzadi Tiwana, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Hafiz Mian Nauman and Dr Saeed Elahi, Chairman Planning & Development, Additional Chief Secretary, Sector Incharge of NLC and officers concerned were also present on the occasion. Secretary Communication and Works Major (retd) Azam Salman Khan gave a detailed briefing regarding the project.

The CM mentioned that the SC had ordered plantation of four new trees against cutting of one tree during widening of canal road; however, by fully implementing the SC decision, ten trees would be planted against cutting of a tree. He added that transparency, quality and speedy development were hallmarks of the Punjab government and all development projects were being completed expeditiously. “The best traffic plan was made during the construction of Kalma flyover. However, canal road is the busiest road; therefore, another such plan should be made for the traffic here so that citizens, particularly students, and the patients should not face any inconvenience. Complete arrangements for bus lane of international standard should be made on canal road and excellent pedestrian bridges be constructed at different places. Also eye-catching landscaping be made alongside the canal so that the people living in surroundings of the canal and passing through it could see the attractive scenes,” he directed.

Earlier, Azam Salman Khan and Director General PHA Abdul Jabbar Shaheen gave briefings about widening of canal bank road and horticulture plan respectively. Secretary C&W told that the project of widening of canal road would cost Rs 1.5 billion and this project would be completed within stipulated time by working round the clock. He informed that missing links service roads, pedestrian bridges at various places and bus-bays at suitable places would also be constructed.

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Shahbaz Sharif has laid the foundation stone of Canal road widening project. It will complete in 90 days. Total length of road widening will be around 3.5 kms. This project has been divided into 4 phases:
Phase I = From Mall road to Jail road
Phase II = From Jail road to FC Underpass
Phase III = From PU Underpass to Jinnah Hospital
Phase IV = From Jinnah Hospital to Doctors Hospital

Cheetah :D @Shahbaz Sharif much needed project :D

btw 89 days left :P

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I had been thinking of that too...why didnt they transplant especially when they have the capability?

Maybe thats extra work at a cost?

They should keep and transplant the older indigenous type trees no?

^^ One tree transplantation costs around Rs. 80,000...

also the old trees take in a lot of underground water..... that may be one reason.....

First of All ASALAM ALIKUM to all as i am new to SC and the trees which they are cutting are mainly safeda`s which does`nt even provide us any greenary i think they should put some trees instead of those which has more leaves and green stuff like the ones on Main Boulevard Gulberg while going from Kalma Chowk side.:)

work on muslim town flyover is expceted to begin soon. As load testing is in prgress in front of Inn canal restaurant. Also they are constrcuting site for opening ceremony in front of PItac office. Formal opening is expected within 20 days.

work on muslim town flyover is expceted to begin soon. As load testing is in prgress in front of Inn canal restaurant. Also they are constrcuting site for opening ceremony in front of PItac office. Formal opening is expected within 20 days.

Some pics I took last week of that testing work in front of Canal in restaurant:
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what about model town underpass???

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I wonder what have they decided to do with the IMAX equipment lying in Canada....

They should have also allowed the construction of theater, wasting so much money does not make any sense...

Update : Section from Doctor's Hopsital to Jinah Hospital on Canal Rd. is closed after 11 PM till now .. on the East side, trees are down and now various machines are working on other side. Very fast pace, I must say.

Inaugration of muslim town flyover expected today.

Update : Section from Doctor's Hopsital to Jinah Hospital on Canal Rd. is closed after 11 PM till now .. on the East side, trees are down and now various machines are working on other side. Very fast pace, I must say.

Yes it is fast. This widening project gonna be completed in 90 days for sure...

Road network: Work on new flyover to begin this week
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"It will be more complex and about 2.5 times longer – the Kalma flyover has 24 bridge piles whereas this one will have 58," Project director Sabir Khan.

Work on another flyover on Ferozepur Road, crossing the Canal and Muslim Town intersections, will begin in the next few days, officials said.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is to inaugurate the project in a ceremony probably on Wednesday, while the National Engineering Services of Pakistan is putting the final touches to the design, officials involved with the project told The Express Tribune. The Communication and Works Department is executing the project while the National Logistic Cell is the contractor.

The officials said that the flyover is aimed at easing the traffic bottleneck on Ferozepur Road at the Muslim Town and Canal intersections.

There is a particularly slow section between the two intersections, as traffic from Muslim Town headed towards Canal Road jostles with through traffic on Ferozepur Road.

Project director Sabir Khan said that the flyover would consist of two bridges, similar to the Kalma Chowk flyover, and would be about 2.5 times the length of the Kalma Chowk flyover, crossing both the Canal and Muslim Town intersections.

The bridge on the western side of the road, for traffic heading towards Mozang from Kalma Chowk, will start at the Police Motor Transport Office, just after the Gaddafi Stadium traffic lights. The bridge will end just after the Rehmanpura crossing, in front of a Caltex petrol pump. The bridge will be 1.1 km long, and include a ramp for traffic headed to Wahdat Road.

The other bridge will start after Rehmanpura in front of WAPDA hospital and end at the Police Motor Transport Office. It will be 750 metres long. Both bridges will have three lanes each 10 metres wide, while the ramp will be a two-lane structure. A seven-metre wide corridor between the bridges will be left for future public transport projects.

Building the flyover, including land acquisition, will cost about Rs3.5 billion, said Khan. “It will be more complex than Kalma Chowk,” he said. “It will be about 2.5 times longer – the Kalma flyover has 24 bridge piles whereas this one will have 58.”

He said if engineers worked at the same pace as at Kalma Chowk, the flyover would take about 11 months to complete, “but we will try to finish it before that”, he added. He said the government would need to buy about seven kanals for the bridge for traffic heading towards Mozang from Gaddafi Stadium. He said city government and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) officials were working on the land acquisition and would submit their cost estimates soon. He said that they were currently testing stone for use in the construction.

District Coordination Officer Ahad Khan Cheema said that the city district government and the LDA were short of funds and would seek bridge financing from the Punjab government. The city government and the LDA would pay back the Punjab government later.

this is just amazing. can anyone put this one on the map please :) :), maps.google and and not the GE teerain.

SS has laid the foundation stone of Muslim town flyover. It will be inaugurated on 23rd March, 2012 (Time period = 6 months & 3 days).

Nice.... So he is setting national days for inauguration of these projects.... that awsome spirit...!

Thats Awsome Timming Not Bad This Means They will be working in more Pace than that of Kalma Chowk Flyover as it is 2.5 Times Longer Than Kalma Chowk Flyove.:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

anyone please post the design or render of Muslim town flyover.... as soon as available... thanks...

^^ Relax!

So the initial plan of a loop near Shell Petrol pump has been cancelled, its a wise decision btw since that loop would have added a lot to the cost of this project.

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^^ lolz @ Skype address...

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CM opens work on two flyovers

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday laid foundation stone of two flyovers under the Canal Flyovers Project on Ferozepur Road, says a handout.
Speaking on the occasion, he said the flyovers project would be completed by March 20 and formally inaugurated on March 23.

He said the city government was providing funds for this project. Sharif said estimated cost of the flyovers was Rs3.5 billion and they would save Rs2.8 billion travel cost annually. He said a delegation of the Punjab government was going to Turkey for negotiations with the mayor of Istanbul on the bus rapid transport system and metro system on Ferozepur Road.

In reply to a question regarding the Lahore Mass Transit Project, the chief minister said the Punjab government had reduced the estimated cost of the project to $1.7 billion from $2.4 billion.

Flyover II: Next Ferozepur Road bridge to open March 23

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Work on Kalma Chowk to Ichhra bridge starts first, traffic will be diverted through Rehmanpura.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the construction of a new flyover on Ferozepur Road at the Canal and Wahdat Road junctions and directed the Communications and Works Department to finish the structure by March 23 next year.

Before the chief minister’s arrival at the ceremony, C&W officials were telling reporters that the project would be finished by May 30 next year. But Sharif, who is famously demanding of public servants, announced in his speech a deadline of February 23.

The C&W secretary looked unhappy with the announcement, so much so that sympathetic journalists at this point volunteered the suggestion that the deadline be extended to March 23, or Republic Day, as this would be a fitting occasion for the opening. (The Kalma Chowk flyover was opened on August 14). The chief minister quickly acceded to the request. He sought assurances from Brigadier Shahid of the National Logistics Cell (NLC), the contractor for the project, that the flyover would be finished on time.

Sharif said that the infrastructure improvements the Punjab government was making would mean people waste less time stuck in their cars. He said the flyover would greatly ease congestion on Ferozepur Road, which he said was Lahore’s busiest road.

The flyover will also boost the city’s development potential through estimated savings of Rs2.6 billion per year from improved fuel efficiency and less time wasting, he said. It would also help the environment as it would reduce the smoke and pollutants emitted by idling vehicles, he said.

Earlier, briefing the chief minister, C&W Secretary Azam Salman said the flyover would cost about Rs3.5 billion and have a total length of 2,587 metres, which includes the length of the bridges and ramp that will form the structure. The design speed of the flyover is 60 km per hour.

The two bridges of the flyover will have three lanes each while a two-lane ramp will lead from one bridge towards Wahdat Road. A 7-10 metre corridor will be left between the bridges for bus lanes for a future project. The flyover will have 60 spans, ramps of 145 metres on each side, 244 bridge piles of 1.2-metre diameter, and 57 bridge piers. Engineers will first build the bridge for traffic heading towards Ichhra from Kalma Chowk.

Salman admitted that traffic management would be a challenge as there was no viable alternative to the road. The intersection of Canal Bank Road and Wahdat Road with Ferozepur Road has a traffic volume of 427,262 vehicles per day, with 60 per cent of the traffic travelling along Ferozepur Road and the rest using the underpass, he said.

City Traffic Police Officer Ahmad Mobin said that sections of Ferozepur Road would remain open for traffic during construction. Traffic headed towards Ichhra would be diverted just after the Kalma Chowk flyover to Masood Farooqi Road towards the Canal, cross Wahdat Road and then enter Rehmanpura on Sultan Ahmed Road, which runs back to Ferozepur Road near Ichhra.

Traffic heading in the opposite direction could be diverted at Mozang, New Tollinton Market or Shama Chowk towards Jail Road, or from Shah Jamal Chowk towards the FC College underpass, Mobin said. He added that the inspector general of Punjab Police had agreed to provide extra men to the Traffic Police to implement the traffic plan.

Salman, the C&W secretary, told the chief minister that they had met with officials from the Water and Power Development Authority, Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited, Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited and Water and Sanitation Agency officials for the shifting of utility supply lines and structures.

Meanwhile, he said, city government officials had started clearing the alternate routes of encroachments after which they would repair the roads.

He said that the funds for the project would be provided by the city government and the Lahore Development Authority.

Muslim Town flyover Inauguration ceremony:

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Courtesy: fahimsahib

Canal Road Widening Project Work Start:

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CM Shahbaz Inaugurate Canal Road Widening Project:

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LTC Import New China Buses For Lahore:

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LAHORE: Work on another flyover on Ferozepur Road, crossing the Canal and Muslim Town intersections, will begin in the next few days, officials said.

^^ The work has started infact, no need of a new thread for a flyover...:lock:

Punjab CM inaugurated the construction of a new flyover on Ferozepur Road at the Canal and Wahdat Road junctions yesterday. hopefully it will complete in given date like kalma chowk.

Anyone who has any updates regarding this flyover plz post it in Lahore Progress news and updates, no need of separate thread for flyovers! Mods plz close this thread

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Hope this gets done this time...

why they abolished it firs.? Stupid pple in govt.

it should be revived...^^ there are no international standard sports venues in Pakistan... we really need one like this one...

why they abolished it firs.? Stupid pple in govt.

Investors ran away due to law & order situation...

they need to revive all the older projects including sheikh zayed centre....

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Hi,what about the widening from doctor's hospital to thokar?

Hi,what about the widening from doctor's hospital to thokar?

Not yet allowed by Supreme court...

‘Decree’ on flyover funds puts CDGL in trouble

Due to severe financial crunch, the City District Government Lahore is in troubled water while arranging funds for the construction of ‘Canal Flyovers Project’, particularly after the announcement made by Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on the occasion of foundation stone laying ceremony previous day that CDG will provide funds for the project, sources informed The Nation on Thursday.

The sources in CDG further informed that District Coordination Officer Ahad Cheema reluctantly told the CM during a meeting that CDG was already in financial crises due to low income and limited resources with this small body and it would has to face a lot of hardships for arranging such a huge amount of about Rs 3.50 billion (estimated cost), required for the construction of Wahdat Road junction and Canal Flyover.

Earlier, the Punjab CM announced this after consulting the District Administration and other high ranking officers of different departments of City Government, the sources further informed adding that during the meeting, the DCO also tried to convince the CM to use substitute resources for arranging funds for the construction of flyovers instead of overburdening CDG because the body currently is not in a position to arrange funds for the purpose.

However, Director General Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen told the CM that the LDA authorities would try their best to arrange funds for the purpose through auction of the plots and land available with the department in proposed Expo Center at Johar Town which could be major a source of producing funds for the completion of proposed flyovers, they added.

He further informed the meeting that he is visualizing such piece of land of about 1123 canals (fixed for the construction of a five star hotel and super store) and income collected from auction of such plots could be a major contribution in the required amount for the completion of proposed flyovers project because the department is expecting collection of huge amount of over Rs 2 billion through the auction.

He assured the CM that the process for the auction of such precious piece of land would soon be completed.

However, the concerned quarters also seemed reluctant to comment on the subject matter particularly regarding the provision of the funds for the project while DCO Ahad Cheema was not available for his version.

On the other hand, the officials of C&W department and the contractor firm are going to start work formally on the project on Friday (today), following the instructions of CM and according to the given schedule for the project.

The Project Director of the proposed flyover Sabir Khan said while talking to The Nation that entire project including design of flyovers, its feasibility and substitute traffic plan is ready and administration is going to start work on the project by starting patchwork of linking roads around the project site in order to ensure making the flow of traffic smooth. “Estimated 427260 vehicles ply on the road daily and the foolproof traffic diversion plan would ensure smooth flow of traffic despite such a huge traffic saddle, he said adding that the maps of substitute traffic routs would soon be installed on the linking roads.

He said that construction work on the proposed flyover of about 1.32 kilometer long, would be erected from the wall of the Police Training School, adjacent to the Main Ferozpur Road (situated opposite of the PCSIR Lab) ending at WAPDA Hospital, crossing Rehmanpura Road (Ichra) and would be completed by 23rd of March 2012. He said the width of the main flyover would be 11 meters while the width of Wahdat Road Junction would be 7 to 10 meter (about two and half lanes).

As many as 59 pillars would be included in the structure of the proposed project of such two flyovers, he added.

He said that the project has been evolved for the construction of canal flyover at Ferozepur Road and its implementation will not only help making the road a signal free corridor but also streamline traffic coming from all sides of the city.

Doesnt Lahore get nearly all of the Punjab development budget?

^^ no all PK devp. budget

^^
Yeah........ US and Europe are facing the debt crisis only because of Lahore :bash:

Doesnt Lahore get nearly all of the Punjab development budget?

Don't start it again, otherwise Multan guys will jump here as well...

nice documentry, i don't knw where to put but i'm gonna post here any way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVjImTfT1rw

I am from neither Multan or Lahore (I rep Dina, * bhangra*). I was just asking for knowledge sake. I love every inch of Pakistan.

Dina is a nice little town!

Dina is awesome. Perfectly placed close to Islamabad but far enough to avoid hassle.

Any other Dina folk here?

Allama Iqbal Road construction troubles commuters (http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/09/allama-iqbal-road-construction-troubles-commuters/)

INAAM RAO

LAHORE - For the past five months, the Allama Iqbal Road, from Gharhi Shahu to Mayo Garden, has been dug up without a plan or adequate funds to complete the project. The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) had excavated the road to lay down sewerage pipelines of large diameters but the construction work has been withheld since there was no planning mechanism devised to complete the project.
The City District Government Lahore (CDGL), responsible for the inconvenience, is yet to finalise the design and to allow the National Logistic Cell (NLC) to initiate the project. The CDGL could also be held responsible for withholding the project by not compelling WASA to prioritise the project and complete it as soon as possible.
The affected road is one of the oldest roads in the city and has historical significance as the national poet, Allama Iqbal, resided in the same area. The main center of Ahmedees also lies alongside the road. A number of political leaders and judges’ houses and a number of schools, banks, mosques and shops are also on the road. The important buildings on this road are the Iqbal Museum, the Railway Headquarters, the Railway Hospital, Jamia Ashrafia, Ghari Shahu Main Bazaar, Mayo Garden and Bird Market.
The road banks on a thickly populated area Gharhi Shahu as well. The road has to bear heavy traffic throughout the day and the WASA administration has postponed the construction of the road without contemplating the trouble it might cause the citizens. Due to the postponement in construction, heavy clouds of dust are seen throughout the day. The situation has caused traders, residents, school children and worshippers inconvenience.
A resident of the area, Nasir Ali, told Pakistan Today that citizens had to bear with the dust every day and that throat infections were increasing because of the pollution. Due to jam-packed traffic, the noise pollution on the road also troubled the citizens, he added. A shopkeeper, Ghohar Khan, said that owing to the blockade of the road, the number of customers had decreased and on Fridays, the situation worsens as people had security concerns because of last year’s terrorist incident in the Ahmediya center.
A petrol pump manager, Muhammad Shahid said that his daily sales had decreased from 40 to 60 percent. He said that the citizens were in an unfortunate state but the government did not pay heed to their concerns. After Eid, the work had sped down immensely and traffic jams were common in the area, he added. WASA Public Relations Officer Imtiaz Ghori told Pakistan Today that WASA had allocated a sum of Rs 120 million for this project.
He said that after Eid, the construction could not be initiated because of a delay in the tender notice. Ghori said that WASA would lay down sewerage pipelines from Mayo Garden to Ghari Shahu within 15 to 20 days. The dengue threat had added to a decline in the speed of the construction work as well, he added. Lahore Works and Services Executive District Officer (EDO) Akram Zafar said that after the WASA was done with the construction work, Works and Services department would start work on the road.
He said that the department understood that people faced difficulties commuting but due to heavy rains in past few days, work had been delayed. He said that the WASA would complete work in mid October and then the National Logistic Cell (NLC) would start work on the project.

http://www.express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20110926/Sub_Images/1101339890-1.jpg

http://www.express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20110926/Sub_Images/1101339890-2.gif

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/images/2011/09/26/20110926_26.jpg
Construction work is underway to widen the Canal Bank Road.

Work on Muslim town flyover is going on nicely round the clock...

Yes steel frames for pillars are now being fixed in front of canal in restaurant! Impressive pace once again I must say!

Yes steel frames for pillars are now being fixed in front of canal in restaurant! Impressive pace once again I must say!

who are the contractors of this project ,i hope the same as kalma chock one

who are the contractors of this project ,i hope the same as kalma chock one

NLC...

Half-done: Part of Multan Road to reopen on 22nd (http://tribune.com.pk/story/261737/half-done-part-of-multan-road-to-reopen-on-22nd/)

One revamped section of Multan Road will be officially opened to traffic on October 22, officials said, but there is no deadline for the completion of the rest of the much-delayed project.
Officials said that 85 per cent of the three-lane main road structure from Thokar Niaz Beg to Scheme Mor has been finished and the rest will be done by October 22, when Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will formally open it at an inauguration ceremony.
The road project was started two years ago and has suffered repeated delays. Just last August, the chief minister had told officials to finish the road by September. Officials said that the deadline had to be pushed back because of heavy monsoon rains and the dengue epidemic.
The Multan Road Project Management Unit (PMU) has Rs100 million left in its account which it will pay to the contractor, the National Logistics Cell (NLC), in a week or so, said a PMU official. He said that a proposed underpass at Scheme Mor had been cancelled due to a dearth of funds.
But Lahore Commissioner and Project Director Jawad Rafique Malik told The Express Tribune that another Rs900 million had been approved for the project and would be received soon.
He said the project had been delayed first because of the monsoon and then dengue. He said that the main structure of the road would be completed by October 22, but footpaths and service lanes would be built later. Malik said that the Scheme Mor underpass was cancelled not because of a lack of funds but because the National Engineering Services of Pakistan had decided to alter the design.
The original plan was to revamp Multan road from Thokar Niaz Beg to Chauburgi in one go, but it was later divided into two sections. PMU Construction Manager Ilyas Shah said that engineers would try to finish work on the main road of the first section by October 10. He said that the work on that section cost an estimated Rs1,510 million, of which Rs999 million had been paid to the contractor and the rest would be paid soon.
He said that the cost of land acquisition for the project had been estimated at Rs3,578 million, including Rs2,500 million for the first section. “We bought the land for Rs1,400 million only so we have saved Rs1,100 million,” Shah said. This also includes the compensation for structures, he added.
He explained some of the factors behind the slow work on the project. “We streamlined all the utilities and that took longer than expected,” he said. A 2.3-metre rainwater drain had been built in the middle of the road, he said.
The three-lane road will be up to 110 feet wide and benefit around 175,000 commuters daily, Shah added.
“The most hectic part of the project was to clear land of encroachers,” said PMU Construction Director Col Ahmad Saeed. He said apart from buying 76 kanals from private land owners, several acres were recovered from land grabbers.
He said that getting rid of the “furniture mafia” that had encroached on the green belt had been a challenge because of political pressure. “Everyone criticised us about the delay in the project but no one appreciates the challenges we faced,” he said.
The officials did not say when the next section of the road, from Scheme Mor to Chauburji, would be finished.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2011.

The post I am pasting below is in reference to the debate on how to solve traffic congestion challenges in Lahore. Is road widening the solution or are there other ways of tackling the problem. Yes we dont have taxis in Lahore, but the principles can apply. Why can we in Pakistan never study problem like this in a hightech way?! I can bet that while the Canal road widening has started, the govt. and transport departments have still not fully identified what the underlying causes of congestion are and our problems are nto goign away any time soon.

The article is from MIT's (the university in the US) Technology Review magazine. (Emphasis in the article is mine just to highlight similarities and important points)

GPS Data on Beijing Cabs Reveals the Cause of Traffic Jams (http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/38679/page1/)

The data could lead to novel urban planning solutions that would work in sprawling cities everywhere.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 BY ERICA NAONE

Beijing is a city famous for traffic jams. In 2006, rush hour reportedly lasted 11 hours a day, and the city has been called a "virtual car park" during daylight hours. As in most major cities, urban planners have been trying for years to relieve the pressure by adding new roads or public transit lines, or providing better enforcement for traffic laws.

Now a group working at Microsoft Research Asia has shown that tracking the location of taxicabs could be a better way to identify the underlying problems with a city's transportation network, helping officials determine how to best ease congestion.

The researchers used GPS data from more than 33,000 Beijing taxicabs. That data was collected in 2009 and 2010. The researchers were not just looking for bottlenecks—trouble spots that regular commuters may know only too well. "[Congested] road segments are only the appearance—they're not the problem," says Yu Zheng, who led the research. "We try to identify the true source of the problem in our work."

The researchers presented their work last week at the 13th International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, which took place in Beijing.

To get at underlying causes of traffic problems, the researchers needed to get information about the trips people are taking—where journeys start, finish, and how a commuter travels in between. The researchers divided Beijing into regions and analyzed the taxi data to find places where two regions weren't properly connected.

Even if a taxi never encounters a slowdown, clues from the trip can indicate an underlying problem with urban planning. For example, the taxi driver might take a circuitous route from point A to point B, instead of a direct one. The added distance could indicate that the driver knows about a problem with what appears to be the fastest route.

The researchers' algorithms indicate when the network of roads and subway lines between two regions cannot support the number of people traveling between those regions. By pointing out underlying problems, the system shows urban planners where to focus their attention, Zheng says.

In some cases, Zheng says, the busy regions aren't really the ones that are flawed. For example, it may be that people from region 1 are going through region 2 on their way to region 3, in which case it may be better to connect region 1 and 3 directly, rather than trying to widen highways in region 2.

The researchers evaluated their system by examining how their calculations changed as Beijing's transportation network evolved during the two-year period they monitored. They found that when city planners added new connections between regions that algorithms had identified as flawed, conditions did indeed improve. Where flaws were identified but not fixed, traffic conditions did not improve.

Zheng says the system could easily be adapted for any city that has a large number of taxicabs—many of which struggle with traffic in their own right. Beijing ranks fourth in the world for number of cabs. The top 10 includes Mexico City, Bangkok, Tokyo, New York, Buenos Aires, and Moscow. Zheng says that, with enough data, his techniques would work as well there as they do for Beijing.

"I think this is an interesting direction, though I wonder to what extent the real problem in urban planning is not having the resources—money—to do anything about it," says Sam Madden, an associate professor at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory who studies wireless sensor networks, including GPS units.

Madden adds that the huge quantity of data the researchers amassed—enough to analyze every road in a city—makes the work impressive. Even a few years ago, he says, it would have been a challenge to get so much information about road conditions. For his own research, Madden put GPS sensors on taxis to gather data, but cost and difficulty limited him to tagging tens of taxis, not thousands.

^^
momers baby...

i dont find any argument against road widening in your post....

acchha pali si billi ban kar dikhao

^^
momers baby...

i dont find any argument against road widening in your post....

acchha pali si billi ban kar dikhao

Ravian94, assuming you did really go to Government College, I would have assumed you were a bit more mature and had some reading skills developed, or at least learnt how to debate without name calling and acting immature. I thought GC walas were good at Debates, or maybe that's all BS?

You want to troll online, fine by me. But you are the one acting all BABY, so please grow up.

There are no arguments against road widening you say? I never said there were arguments against road widening. The article points out that there are underlying causes for jams which are not always apparent, a confounding factor as they call it in statistics.

You can choose to stay ignorant at your own cost.


P.S. Meoooww!

http://www.dailywaqt.com/300911/Images/p3-14.gif

Ravian94, assuming you did really go to Government College, I would have assumed you were a bit more mature and had some reading skills developed, or at least learnt how to debate without name calling and acting immature. I thought GC walas were good at Debates, or maybe that's all BS?

You want to troll online, fine by me. But you are the one acting all BABY, so please grow up.

There are no arguments against road widening you say? I never said there were arguments against road widening. The article points out that there are underlying causes for jams which are not always apparent, a confounding factor as they call it in statistics.

You can choose to stay ignorant at your own cost.


P.S. Meoooww!

Babes.... you really wana know the root cause of the traffic jams ??? its the dumb commando who ransacked the country in the name of development. This was topped by assigning economic affairs of the country to a banker rather than an economist.

Shaukat Aziz, with a banker mentality, ran the government like a bank. without realizing the consequences rather the aftermath of an over-extensive consumer banking. such a strategy only benefited banks in short and long term.

it benefited industry in short term as it was able to expand its capacity and prepare for a wider customer base and export horizon. but in the long run what happened, the same industry which had over-expanded, thanks to the unrealistic future portrayed by the opportunist banker sitting at the top, could not meet any projected goals on one side and was faced with energy shortage on the other, again thanks to the banker mentality at the top who never cared to grow resources in consonance with the industry expansion. Rather Shaukat Aziz sold KESC to his long standing clients and friends of Abraj group. This inefficient group didnt invest the money in KESC it had agreed but was always safe from legal actions by extending personal benefits to political leadership. Govt. in further political blackmailing from karachi had to shift the load on WAPDA resulting in load shedding across the country.

Similar was the case with automobiles and traffic. Banker Shaukat Aziz wanted to expand customer base even at the cost of social values and economic meltdown. Car financing surge in those days created a situation that number of cars increased exponentially, without realising the havoc it would create on the streets. off course Automobile sector flourished and people got new cars on easy terms, but, in the absence of any sophisticated public transport system, what it led to is traffic jams all over every large city and long queues at feul stations.

Did it occur to anyone in past years that exponential growth in automobiles and over expansion of industry will result in energy shortage and a surge in import bill due to petroleum demand? yes sir, economists were warning about it. But common man was only happy with enjoying (short term) growth and happiness while selfish and opportunist Banker and the tyrant patron of mummy daddy burger class were busy selling national assets to arabs at meagre prices.

Unlike Beijing, which has 4 times (or more) as wider roads, Lahore has never seen expansion in the width of roads since 80s. Jail and Ferozpur Road were only rebuilt not widend. If canal road was built to hold 200 cars per minute, now it has a pressure of 2500 per minute. same is the case with other roads of the city. Do you still want to apply scientific methods to fit 1000 cubic meters of steel in 100 cubic meter pool? Nonsense.

When chinese are faced with crisis, they catch the bull by the horn. One-child policy is a clear proof of what is the real problem and how to tackle it. In our country, greedy banker and tyrant commando created a utopia of economic growth. The criminal negligence towards creating additional resources to sustain this growth has led this country to catastrophic disarray.

Wese if you keep doing the Meooowww, I am sure some Bagarbilla will respond POSITIVELY very soon. at least that is what i have seen happening with cats in my neighbourhood:lol:

Babes.... you really wana know the root cause of the traffic jams ??? its the dumb commando who ransacked the country in the name of development. This was topped by assigning economic affairs of the country to a banker rather than an economist.

Shaukat Aziz, with a banker mentality, ran the government like a bank. without realizing the consequences rather the aftermath of an over-extensive consumer banking. such a strategy only benefited banks in short and long term.

it benefited industry in short term as it was able to expand its capacity and prepare for a wider customer base and export horizon. but in the long run what happened, the same industry which had over-expanded, thanks to the unrealistic future portrayed by the opportunist banker sitting at the top, could not meet any projected goals on one side and was faced with energy shortage on the other, again thanks to the banker mentality at the top who never cared to grow resources in consonance with the industry expansion. Rather Shaukat Aziz sold KESC to his long standing clients and friends of Abraj group. This inefficient group didnt invest the money in KESC it had agreed but was always safe from legal actions by extending personal benefits to political leadership. Govt. in further political blackmailing from karachi had to shift the load on WAPDA resulting in load shedding across the country.

Similar was the case with automobiles and traffic. Banker Shaukat Aziz wanted to expand customer base even at the cost of social values and economic meltdown. Car financing surge in those days created a situation that number of cars increased exponentially, without realising the havoc it would create on the streets. off course Automobile sector flourished and people got new cars on easy terms, but, in the absence of any sophisticated public transport system, what it led to is traffic jams all over every large city and long queues at feul stations.

Did it occur to anyone in past years that exponential growth in automobiles and over expansion of industry will result in energy shortage and a surge in import bill due to petroleum demand? yes sir, economists were warning about it. But common man was only happy with enjoying (short term) growth and happiness while selfish and opportunist Banker and the tyrant patron of mummy daddy burger class were busy selling national assets to arabs at meagre prices.

Unlike Beijing, which has 4 times (or more) as wider roads, Lahore has never seen expansion in the width of roads since 80s. Jail and Ferozpur Road were only rebuilt not widend. If canal road was built to hold 200 cars per minute, now it has a pressure of 2500 per minute. same is the case with other roads of the city. Do you still want to apply scientific methods to fit 1000 cubic meters of steel in 100 cubic meter pool? Nonsense.

When chinese are faced with crisis, they catch the bull by the horn. One-child policy is a clear proof of what is the real problem and how to tackle it. In our country, greedy banker and tyrant commando created a utopia of economic growth. The criminal negligence towards creating additional resources to sustain this growth has led this country to catastrophic disarray.

Wese if you keep doing the Meooowww, I am sure some Bagarbilla will respond POSITIVELY very soon. at least that is what i have seen happening with cats in my neighbourhood:lol:

+ 1

^^ lol , good argument btw.

I enjoyed this line by ravian "the tyrant patron of mummy daddy burger class" :laugh:

It is strange that Pakistani people cry out for change and always look for new leadership. Then after several years they start moaning about the new which by then has become old, and then look for someone else to be their new saviour. Change of faces does not matter what matters is the stengthening of the system and institutions. All leaders did good things and bad things.

As far as transport is concerned all stakeholders need to be treated equally as opposed to just the vehicle users. If not enough investment is made in public transport then at some stage in the future even the car owners will dread making even short journeys. At the moment car ownership is about 2% of the population just wait until it is 50% like in a lot of the developed countries, then you will know what traffic is.

http://express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20111002/Sub_Images/1101344186-1.jpg

Open auction of LDA land on 5th October 2011

The Lahore Development Authority will hold an open auction of plots reserved for setting up a five star hotel and an international superstore in the Finance and Trade Center, Johar Town, on October 5.

According to LDA sources, the sale of plots, measuring 114 Kanals and 90 Kanals respectively, through open bidding had earlier been planned for August 23 and September 10 but was rescheduled to facilitate investors.

The Finance and Trade centre is being established by LDA on 1,123 kanals of land, situated near Expo Centre, in Johar Town. On the land, a superstore will be built on 90 kanals, a five star hotel on 114 kanals, a bank square on 69 kanals, a health club on 27 kanals, a hospital on 25 kanals, a mosque on five kanals, a recreation area on 75 kanals, parking and mini-golf club on 32 kanals and a park and lake on 42 kanals. About 40 kanals have been reserved for multi-storey apartments, eight kanals for the service area and 388 kanals for roads. The commercial area of the centre would be on 111 kanals and a corporate office and LDA tower on 101 kanals.

LDA also allocated a sum of Rs 500 million for construction and improvement of infrastructure of the area in the present budget for encouraging construction of high-rise buildings in the Finance and Trade Centre. LDA will frame special building regulations for its finance and trade centre.

Muslim Town Flyover won’t be easy

http://cache.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/10/12-480x238.jpg
Funds running low for ‘dangerously designed’ overpass; Traders unhappy with govt plans to demolish shops

Controversies have engulfed the Muslim Town Flyover on Ferozepur Road just 48 hours before the official launch of the project, with construction scheduled to begin on Sunday, October 2. Costing some Rs 3.5 billion, the flyover, which would arch over the Canal and Muslim Town Mor to reach WAPDA Hospital, would be the longest one in the history of Lahore and would be in the shape of a giant S. It would also be the second split flyover built in the city, Kalma Chowk Flyover being the first.

However, construction problems have erupted around the large-scale project after the government announced plans to demolish around 100 shops along the path of the massive overpass. Another hiccup in the ambitious plan is the shortage of funds, along with objections to the shape of the flyover. A similarly shaped flyover built by the NLC in Karachi had collapsed a few years ago, creating doubts about the structural integrity of an S-shaped bridge.

The Punjab Communication and Works (C&W) Department had informally carried out some initial work after Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif approved the project on August 27 and laid the foundation stone on September 20, but controversy reared its head when a number of shops were marked with red paint, a clear indication to traders that these shops had to be razed to make way for the construction of the flyover. Traders headed by Anjuman-e-Tajran Ferozepur Road President Mehboob Ali Sirki took stock of the situation and decided to resist the project.

In a defiant note, they decided to stage protest demonstration if their shops were bulldozed without their consent. Three meetings have since been held to settle the issue but all of them have remained inconclusive. Sirki told Pakistan Today that designs had to be changed to avoid inflicting any damage on traders who had been running their businesses here for a long time. “Though the C&W Department has offered to provide alternative locations along with financial compensation, but change of location will definitely ruin the businesses,” he said.

The tense situation could be prevented, he said, if the demolition was split between the two sides of the road instead of clearing up the entire 18 square feet of required land on only one side, so that the least possible damage was incurred by traders. He said the next round of meetings would be held on Monday and if their demands were not met they would unleash a spell of protests. C&W Project Director Sabir Khan said the government had planned to give 4 kanals of alternative lands to traders with additional parking lanes that would be helpful in boosting their business.

The government would also pay them compensation, he added. Khan claimed that only some shops in Madina Tower and others would be razed to clear the way for the flyover, and that almost 90 percent of traders were agreed on the issue. He said C&W had discussed the issue with Nespak as well to make some changes to the current design in order to reduce the damage to the traders’ shops. “We will try our best to acquire government land instead of private land for an alternative place of business for the [affected] traders,” he added.

A City District Government Lahore (CDGL) official said shortage of funds was also a big problem in the construction of the flyover. He said the chief minister had announced that the CDGL would make available the necessary funds for the project without consulting CDGL. “It was a shock for us as everybody knows the CDGL is cash-strapped and cannot bear the expenses of Rs 3.5 billion for the construction of a flyover,” he said.

He said that during a meeting, Lahore District Coordination Officer (DCO) Ahed Cheema had tried to convince the chief minister to use substitute resources to arrange funds instead of overburdening the CDGL, but Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General (DG) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen had told the chief minister that the authority would arrange funds for the flyover through auction of the plots and land available to the department at the proposed Expo Centre at Johar Town. However, at present there is no confirmation about the availability of funds, because of which construction might stop in the middle, said the official.

Experts believe that S-shaped flyovers should be avoided as they require a high level of expertise in engineering. The smallest flaw in the design might lead to a tragedy, they said. LDA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed said the flyover aimed to make Ferozepur Road a signal-free corridor. He said that the project was likely to be completed by March 20, 2012 by working round-the-clock and it would be formally inaugurated on March 23. He said the estimated cost of flyover’s construction was Rs 3.5 billion, while it would result in savings of Rs 2.8 billion annually in travel costs after its completion.

He said that a provision had also been made for the Bus Rapid Transport System and metro system on Ferozepur Road in the design of Muslim Town Flyover.

http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/mohsintufail/Misc/BOPAdinJang04102011.jpg

Don't start it again, otherwise Multan guys will jump here as well...

hahahaha

Babes.... you really wana know the root cause of the traffic jams ??? its the dumb commando who ransacked the country in the name of development. This was topped by assigning economic affairs of the country to a banker rather than an economist. ..............

+1

Babes.... you really wana know the root cause of the traffic jams ??? its the dumb commando who ransacked the country in the name of development. This was topped by assigning economic affairs of the country to a banker rather than an economist.

Shaukat Aziz, with a banker mentality, ran the government like a bank. without realizing the consequences rather the aftermath of an over-extensive consumer banking. such a strategy only benefited banks in short and long term.

it benefited industry in short term as it was able to expand its capacity and prepare for a wider customer base and export horizon. but in the long run what happened, the same industry which had over-expanded, thanks to the unrealistic future portrayed by the opportunist banker sitting at the top, could not meet any projected goals on one side and was faced with energy shortage on the other, again thanks to the banker mentality at the top who never cared to grow resources in consonance with the industry expansion. Rather Shaukat Aziz sold KESC to his long standing clients and friends of Abraj group. This inefficient group didnt invest the money in KESC it had agreed but was always safe from legal actions by extending personal benefits to political leadership. Govt. in further political blackmailing from karachi had to shift the load on WAPDA resulting in load shedding across the country.

Similar was the case with automobiles and traffic. Banker Shaukat Aziz wanted to expand customer base even at the cost of social values and economic meltdown. Car financing surge in those days created a situation that number of cars increased exponentially, without realising the havoc it would create on the streets. off course Automobile sector flourished and people got new cars on easy terms, but, in the absence of any sophisticated public transport system, what it led to is traffic jams all over every large city and long queues at feul stations.

Did it occur to anyone in past years that exponential growth in automobiles and over expansion of industry will result in energy shortage and a surge in import bill due to petroleum demand? yes sir, economists were warning about it. But common man was only happy with enjoying (short term) growth and happiness while selfish and opportunist Banker and the tyrant patron of mummy daddy burger class were busy selling national assets to arabs at meagre prices.

Unlike Beijing, which has 4 times (or more) as wider roads, Lahore has never seen expansion in the width of roads since 80s. Jail and Ferozpur Road were only rebuilt not widend. If canal road was built to hold 200 cars per minute, now it has a pressure of 2500 per minute. same is the case with other roads of the city. Do you still want to apply scientific methods to fit 1000 cubic meters of steel in 100 cubic meter pool? Nonsense.

When chinese are faced with crisis, they catch the bull by the horn. One-child policy is a clear proof of what is the real problem and how to tackle it. In our country, greedy banker and tyrant commando created a utopia of economic growth. The criminal negligence towards creating additional resources to sustain this growth has led this country to catastrophic disarray.

Wese if you keep doing the Meooowww, I am sure some Bagarbilla will respond POSITIVELY very soon. at least that is what i have seen happening with cats in my neighbourhood:lol:

Oh my, i finally coaxed you into actually debating something!

Yeah, very nice armchair theorizing. Pass the buck, it’s easy, like there were never rulers or politicians before them two cartoons! How convenient to take it out on them, not realizing that the control on how to manage and grow or curate the cities was not purely with them but ordinary bureaucrats and planners of the CDG's and the xDA's (LDA etc). They fuck up and you blame the wrong guys. NICE There is only 5% merit in your rant. The emphasis on power generation tell me load shedding was bothering you when you wrote this. 

You blame the Musshy and Bankers now, but you realize the actions or activities and policies you support today, (down with the trees, go crazy with road widening), will come back to haunt you. Someone just like you will 5 years down the line blame you and your thought process and blatant disregard for the Economics of the Environment, and then they will say, "hey, CM SSharif did not have foresight, and the Environmentalists were crying all about this back then but no one listened to them and now we have this toxic mess"!
I just need to replace some words in your argument and the text of that future blame game would be ready! Try that if you truly believe in your argument and then see if your argument is just? If it is just, then let not history repeat itself, and this time listen to the damn environmentalists. This doesn't have to be a zero sum game.

It appears the Bagarbilla terrorizing the Gali ki Cats is you, you are quite familiar with its schedule and know what its upto!

@momers
Its never ending debate.

MR. JUSTICE TASSADUQ HUSSAIN JILLANI said...
http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/user_files/File/SMCNo25of2009.pdf

"This however, is the flip side of human saga. It has a positive
dimension too. If humans had shunned reason and the civilizational impact or had
taken their love of nature too far, they would still have been living in caves, eating
insects and raw meat and mating like animals. The discovery and development of
the bounties and beauties of nature are partly attributable to human perception,
ingenuity, struggle and its harnessing."

Have u seen plantation of new and mature trees along Lahore Ring Road & on Canal Road from Dharampura to Herbancepura ?

Pics of Canal Rd. expansion will be highly appreciated

How is the new flyover is S shaped...??

It's pretty straight with only one curve towards wahdat road... Isn't it?

@momers

"This however, is the flip side of human saga. It has a positive
dimension too. If humans had shunned reason and the civilizational impact or had
taken their love of nature too far, they would still have been living in caves, eating
insects and raw meat and mating like animals. The discovery and development of
the bounties and beauties of nature are partly attributable to human perception,
ingenuity, struggle and its harnessing."

Have u seen plantation of new and mature trees along Lahore Ring Road & on Canal Road from Dharampura to Herbancepura ?

and lahore would have been the avatar city. lahoivatara's (now lahories) pretty much banged by the demons and monkeys resulting in us being online with our tails roving around the chair.

http://express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20111006/Sub_Images/1101347289-1.gif

^^Phew... finally...

only one 90 kanal plot is sold... not all the 1123 kanals......

Babes.... you really wana know the root cause of the traffic jams ??? its the dumb commando who ransacked the country in the name of development. This was topped by assigning economic affairs of the country to a banker rather than an economist.


id rather take a commando who develops the country rather than sumo wrestlers who build mahals all over the world with my tax money and even fly off to the states to get hair transplants with my tax money. if you prefer the later then thats up to you, unfortunately it explains the reason why the countries in this situation.

as for economic affairs handling, atleast the commando didnt hand them over to a chaprasi like the sumo wrestler before him.

Finance and Trade Centre: LDA uses fake bidder to auction plot

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) registered a fictional bidder in order to be able to auction a massive commercial plot in the planned Finance and Trade Centre (FTC) in Johar Town, The Express Tribune has learnt.

In its second attempt to auction the plot reserved for a superstore, LDA sold the land to Federal Employees Benevolent and Group Insurance (FEBGI) for just over Rs1 billion at the LDA Community Centre in Muslim Town.

The first attempt to auction the superstore plot and another for a hotel at the same site last month failed as only one investor made a bid. Under LDA rules, an auction requires at least two bidders.

An LDA official told The Express Tribune that senior officials, fearing a repeat of last month’s failed sale, had decided to create a fake investor profile so the auction would not have to be suspended again. The official said that the LDA director general was under pressure to ensure that a sale went through, as he had personally assured the chief minister that the LDA would generate the funds needed for the Rs3.5 billion Canal flyover on Ferozepur Road, construction of which began last month.

The sale was supervised by the LDA’s auction committee including the chief town planner, the finance director, estate management director as well as all the four directors for land development at the LDA. The director general did not attend yesterday’s auction.

The auction was scheduled for 10am, but did not start until 12:30pm.

The reserve price for the 90-kanal superstore plot was Rs11 million per kanal, and about five minutes after making a bid of Rs11.25 million per kanal, Wali Muhammad, representing the FEBGI Islamabad, was declared the successful bidder. The other bidder was said to be a Haji Tariq from an unidentified company. There were no bids for the 114-kanal plot reserved for a hotel.

According to the LDA official, Haji Tariq is a fictional investor. Nauman Khan, director for estate management, denied this, saying the person had registered as a bidder by making a security deposit. He said that the auction had been delayed by a couple of hours because the second bidder had called to seek more time to arrange for funds. Asked what company Haji Tariq was representing, he said that he didn’t know as he had left the Community Centre to attend a meeting with the district coordination officer and had been unable to meet Tariq at the auction.

Tariq Sana Bajwa, former nazim of Data Ganj Bakhsh Town familiar with the function of the LDA, said that the rules required that an auction have at least three bidders, but in special circumstances the rules could be relaxed so that an auction could be held with only two bidders. “If they had only one genuine bidder, they can be challenged in court,” he said.

The LDA has reserved 1,123 kanals for the FTC and Rs500 million has been allocated in this year’s budget for its development, but there has been no work on the ground yet.

http://www.express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20111007/Sub_Images/1101347919-1.jpg
New addition at Crest road near MAO college!

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LAHORE: Turkey is transporting construction machinery for setting up four new slaughterhouses in Punjab.

Turkish-Pakistan Business Council's President Hussain Akin stated this in a meeting with Foreign Economic Relations Board Turkey (FERB)'s delegation with Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) and other related provincial departments on Sunday.
:)

A new bus service for travel within the Defence Housing Authority was launched at the Y-Block commercial area here on Wednesday.

The DHA Coaster Shuttle Service consists of four air-conditioned buses, imported at Rs7.3 million each from Japan, that will cover all of Defence from Phase I to Phase V, making 28 stops in the process. The service will run from 6am to 10pm and take some 30 minutes to complete the 30-kilometre route.

“This service has been put in place to overcome the traffic congestion within DHA and to provide decent transport facilities to the residents,” said DHA administrator Brig Muhammad Aslam Rana at the inauguration.

The 28 bus stops, including shade, benches and route maps, have been constructed and the major stops include a spot near the Lahore Grammar School in Phase V, Bedian Road, the X-Block Caltex Pump, Walton Road, Y-Block Commercial Market, Ghazi Chowk, H-Block commercial area, Defence National Hospital, Lalik Jan Chowk and Wateen Chowk. The coasters will take five to seven minutes in each phase. The buses will come with hostesses to facilitate passengers. Ten seats in each coaster have been set aside for female passengers. A single journey will cost Rs30, said DHA officials.

Currently only Daewoo buses are allowed to enter DHA. DHA public relations officer Tajammul Hussain said the new service would not affect the Daewoo service, which runs outside Defence as well. Asked why other buses weren’t allowed to enter DHA, he said: “We only prohibit substandard services.”

Mubashir Hayat, who lives in Phase V, said the new service was much needed as public transport was scarce in the area. “We rarely see public transport in this part of Defence, and even if we do it costs almost Rs200 on a rickshaw from here to Defence Chowk,” he said.

Mohammad Amin Baig, a resident of Phase IV, also welcomed the new service but wondered whether four buses would be enough. DHA officials said that they would introduce four more buses at the end of next month if the service proved popular.

The last DHA bus service was shelved a year and a half after it was launched because residents complained of irregular schedules and lack of maintenance of buses.


Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/272779/public-transport-defence-gets-shuttle-service/

^^ Good idea...

LDA to launch new housing scheme

The governing body of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has decided to launch a new housing scheme on a piece of land measuring 4,361 kanals in the Punjab capital.

The scheme will be developed along the road linking Khayaban-i-Jinnah and Defence roads. Presided over by District Coordination Officer and LDA Chairman Ahad Cheema, the body meeting on Monday approved remodelling of the Model Town Link Road from Maulana Shaukat Ali Road to Pace shopping centre. The dual carriageway with service roads and parking provision on both sides will be built at a cost of Rs186.66 million.

The authority decided to auction off 49 plots of Venus Housing Scheme to generate revenue and complete development work in the scheme. Schedule of the auction will be announced later. The authority approved construction of incomplete roads in the scheme at a cost of Rs30.38 million.

Keeping in view the dengue epidemic, the authority allowed the City District Government of Lahore to use seven sites for dispensaries in various localities of the city to provide health care to people. The authority adopted a health department notification regarding grant of health professional allowance to its senior medical officers.

LDA Vice-Chairman Aamir Asghar Dar, director general Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, Wasa Vice-Chairman Muhammad Sharif, managing director Dr Javed Iqbal and managing director (Tepa) Farqaleet Meer were also present.

REGULARISATION: In line with a decision of the Punjab government about regularisation of contract employees, the LDA management has regularised the services of its entire teaching and non-teaching staff working on a contract basis from grade 1 to 16 in LDA model high schools.

At a meeting here, the management decided to pay salary to the principal of the LDA Model High School, Johar Town according to basic pay scale 18 instead of fixed pay.

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Canal road expansion is going on very well. It is more likely that it will be completed on Dec, 17th...

LDA to launch new housing scheme

The governing body of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has decided to launch a new housing scheme on a piece of land measuring 4,361 kanals in the Punjab capital.



Before they start new schemes they need to complete LDA Ave.1. It was suppose to be completed 4,5 years ago :ohno:

Should i Post this here or not???


Mari gas co. hits major Oil reserves in Punjab


KARACHI: Mari Gas Company Limited (MGCL) has made a significant crude oil discovery with the additional potential of Associated Gas, during the drilling of Halini Well (near the village Kamar Sar, TehsiI Essa Kheil) in its operated Karak exploration block.

The Block is located at the boundaries of KPK and Punjab provinces (between the districts of Karak and Mianwali).

According to a communiqué of MGCL sent to KSE here Friday, the discovery is estimated to accrue huge foreign exchange savings which could range in billions of dollars at the current oil price trend and thus contribute towards the nation's endeavor to reduce dependence on Imported energy.

The Halini Well was spud on January 07, 2011 and was drilled upto a depth of 5,350 meters. During the initial short duratIon tests carried out, the well flowed at the average rate of I,700 barrels/day crude oil of API gravity 26 at 32/64 choke size.

The flow rates from the well are expected to increase with further testing and stimulation treatment which is planned to be conducted, shortly.

The prospect is estimated to spread over a large area and the Company is planning to drill additional wells to delineate the exact extent, size and reserves potential of this oil discovery.

The Karak Block was granted to MGCL, as operator and 100% interest owner, on April 14, 2005. Subsequently MOL Pakistan Oil & Gas Company B.V. (an E&P company of Hungary) acquired 40% interest share in tho Block from MGCL.


Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011


http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/31741-mari-gas-hits-major-oil-reserves.html

we hear news like that all the time. it's not newsworthy until the oil well starts production.

^^No let him post positive news, smfarazm bro keep us posted on these kind on news in the Punjab Proggress and updates thread: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=733146&page=21

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Canal road expansion is going on very well. It is more likely that it will be completed on Dec, 17th...

I hope so .. I'm leaving Lahore again tonight and hope to return back in December for a short trip again :-) fingers crossed if it will be completed and I would drive on this from Airport to Home..

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^^ beautiful... love old Lahore....

I've heard that this food street is going to be much more beautiful as compared to the older one :) Can't wait for it to be completed and is anybody familiar with the exact location?

Hopefully, it would be nice...

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This is so cool!

So this is what Hot Recyclling of road pavement means (http://www.wirtgen-group.de/en/technologien/strassen-instandsetzung/heissrecycling/Unterseite_Heissrecycling.html), i didnt know this could be done!

This is so efficient, and just imagine how much you save in terms of waste produced. In Pakistan we generally never re-use the old asphalt surface of roads do we? It is generally torn our (sarak ukhaarnaa!) and then dumped some place, but never recycled!

I am reading up and it says saving of upto 75% material if road has to be rebuilt, i.e. if the same material is used again after processing.

Its impressive, would like to see a youtube video of its working!

What's the nicest residential area of Lahore?

What's the nicest residential area of Lahore?

Inside Lohari Gate

Urban development: MM Alam to be developed as two-way road

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"The road revamp will raise property prices and encourage more commercial activity, so businesses are pleased," Chairman MM Alam Road Traders Association Sheikh Saleem.

MM Alam Road is to be converted into a two-way street divided by a median, while more ambitious plans for the development of Gulberg have been put on hold because of a lack of funds.

The Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Authority (Tepa) will start work on the dilapidated MM Alam Road in about 15 days, said Tepa Director Asrar Saeed. “The rehabilitation had been delayed quite a few times,” he said.

“The plan for the rehabilitation of the road has been changed as well. The previous ones were either to make the road one-way or pedestrians-only, but now we are going to keep it as a two-way track.”

Saeed said that a median would be built in the two-kilometre road from Hussain Chowk to Main Boulevard, with five crossings provided where drivers can take u-turns. Both sides of the road will be 24 metres wide, enough room for four lanes in total. Another 10 metres will be left on both sides to allow for parking space, he said. Drainage and footpaths will also be built.

Tepa had been planning a comprehensive redevelopment of central Gulberg into the Central Business District (CBD), as it was dubbed by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). Under the old plan, another four parking plazas were to be built close to Liberty Market, a flyover at Mahmood Ali Kasoori road, parallel to Jinnah Flyover, a tram system and the revamp of MM Alam Road into a one-way or pedestrian-only route.

While the plans had to be put on hold because of a lack of funds, businesses were still pressing for repair of the crumbling MM Alam Road, plans for which had been mooted and shelved repeatedly.

“We welcome the decision to rehabilitate the most important road in the area,” said Sheikh Saleem, chairman of the MM Alam Road Traders Association. He said that the road revamp would raise property prices and encourage more commercial activity, so businesses were pleased.

“But they must complete the project as early as possible as delays will affect business,” he said. Parking space would also remain a major concern.

Saeed said that the road works would take about three months to finish, and then a “proper parking plan” would be implemented. He said that the Doongi Ground where the authorities wanted to build a parking plaza, only to have the Lahore High Court stay the plan – would be used for parking. The High Court allowed it to be used for parking, he said.

He said that the plans to build parking plazas and the flyover had not been cancelled, only put on hold.

Shortage of funds halts flyover projects

The City District Government Lahore has failed to arrange sufficient funds for the construction of mega project of ‘Canal Flyovers’ due to severe financial crunch, despite Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif laid foundation stone previous month.

The sources further said that under pressure of the provincial government, the CDG authorities are thinking to sale some of assets of district government for this purpose. The authorities are hopeful that they would arrange required amount before the completion of the flyovers and before date of release of funds to the construction company, they added.

However, the CDG authorities could arrange only one Rs 1 billion for the project so far, with the help of Lahore Development Authority, which arranged such a huge amount after auctioning a piece of land of superstore, situated in proposed Expo Centre Johar Town as per the promise made by LDA Director General. The remaining amount of about two billion rupees would also be arranged through auction of other plots, the added.

The sources further informed that District Coordination Officer Ahad Cheema, on the occasion of inauguration of the project, requested the CM that it is difficult for CDGL to arrange such a huge amount of about Rs 3.5 billion, required for the construction of the flyovers on the City Canal. However, LDA DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen promised the government that Lahore Development Authority would provide about Rs 2 billion for the purpose.

It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that Ferozepur Road is one of the most important roads of the city from which hundreds of vehicles pass daily and two flyovers will be constructed on Wahdat Road junction, announcing that the City District Government would provided funds for this project.

He further said on the occasion that a project has been evolved for the construction of canal flyover at Ferozepur Road and its implementation will not only help make this road a signal-free corridor but also streamline traffic coming from all sides of the city. He said that the Canal Flyover Project would be completed by March 20, 2012 by working round the clock and formally be inaugurated on March 23. He said that CDGL is providing funds for this project which is a milestone in its history.

The Chief Minister said that the basic purpose of laying a network of roads and bridges in the provincial metropolis is to streamline the flow of traffic and provide relief to the people. He said that the estimated cost of the construction of canal flyover is Rs 3.5 billion while it will result in a saving of Rs.2.8 billion annually in the travel cost after its completion.

New buses arrive in town

The 56 buses out of a total of 2,000 buses which the Lahore Transport Company (LTC) promised in 2008, have finally arrived in the country on Friday. The rest of 1,956 buses will take some days to arrive in order to overcome commuting issues that citizens face.

The 56 buses, recently dispatched from China are parked at the Karachi port. They are ready to be driven to Lahore, after clearance from the Customs department. So far, 42 buses got clearance and the rest are in queue to be cleared. These buses have been brought by a private bus company, Phtoton. As per agreement, the company is to bring 111 buses, out of which 56 have arrived. However, their arrival schedule is still uncertain.

With the inclusion of 56 buses, LTC plans to add 250 buses in the city transport infrastructure by the end of November.

LTC spokesperson Amjad Bhatti, while talking to Pakistan Today, said all credit went to LTC Chairman Khawaja Ahsaan for the availability of the buses. The Photon Bus Company brought the busses by paying the 16 percent GST, he added.

He said another private bus company, First bus service, will bring 100 buses soon. He said LTC was aware of citizens’ commuting concerns and that it was working on different projects to address them. Bhatti said LTC contracted with different advertisement companies to renovate bus stops.

Bhatti said LTC plans to procure 500 air conditioned urban buses to provide immediate relief to the citizens. In this regard, a tender had already been floated on the LTC website and 300 buses had been identified for refurbishment, he added. He said in order to counter the transportation burden, around 3,000 buses were required.

Shortage of funds halts flyover projects



Passed by the site yesterday at 12 AM and today at 4 PM and work as in full swing!

http://express.com.pk/images/NP_LHE/20111031/Sub_Images/1101367151-1.jpg
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Last week saw the Lower Mall Road right in front of Nasir Bagh Lahore being treated and re-carpeted the same way. Work on Jail Road right in front of Lahore College for Women University was still in progress.

So i think LDA or whoever is responsible will be fixing up a lot of roads all over Lahore like this, and that is a very good step i must say, a cost effective way of rehabilitating a lot of well constructed roads (from ages ago) across the city.


This is so cool!

So this is what Hot Recyclling of road pavement means (http://www.wirtgen-group.de/en/technologien/strassen-instandsetzung/heissrecycling/Unterseite_Heissrecycling.html), i didnt know this could be done!

This is so efficient, and just imagine how much you save in terms of waste produced. In Pakistan we generally never re-use the old asphalt surface of roads do we? It is generally torn our (sarak ukhaarnaa!) and then dumped some place, but never recycled!

I am reading up and it says saving of upto 75% material if road has to be rebuilt, i.e. if the same material is used again after processing.

Yes these are two machines currently working in Lahore, it reduces a lot of hectic work are the road is re carpeted without any waste and raw material.

CM to inaugurate incomplete project

After spending over Rs 4 billion in the name of establishing state of the art laboratory for investigating cases of organised and heinous crimes, the Punjab Government is all set to inaugurate Punjab Forensic Science Agency and Laboratory on Sunday (tomorrow), still incomplete after fifth extension and that too even without the facilities available at other ordinary labs, The Nation has learnt.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will inaugurate the lab near Thokar Niaz Baig, over 16 months behind the scheduled time of its completion. Interestingly, DNA and forensic toxicology, the specialities unavailable at other government labs in the province, will be made available at the forensic lab after one year. Not only that, a number of single table specialities available at already existing labs in the province will be started at a later stage.

According to the insiders, the Punjab Home Department, instead of imposing daily fine of Rs 1 million on the contractor for delay, extended the completion date five times.

Even after five times extension in period of completion of the project, the contractor has failed to carryout the work as per the signed agreement. Heavy rains during the monsoon exposed quality of construction work, big cracks developed in concrete walls and pillars and rainwater flow from entrance gate to the lobby. Covered area of laboratory is 1,65,0000 square feet and cost of construction is Rs 5,411 per square feet as against normal rate of Rs 2,000 per sft.

The Punjab Government is already investigating misappropriation and corruption in the construction of building at much higher rates and purchase of equipment, vehicles and software before completion of civil work and hiring of staff at hefty salary over two and a half years back.

For the last over two and a half years, the govt is paying Rs 2.4 million salary to 32 highly paid contract and on deputation employees every month. Before the completion of construction work, the government acquired software worth over Rs 260 million besides importing sophisticated equipment worth over Rs 750 million from the US. Besides that, 14 APV vans and 200 laptops worth over millions were purchased over a year earlier when they were required.

Cash strapped Punjab govt spent a hefty amount of Rs 110 million on providing training to 32 highly paid employees, but all returned home without getting a certificate from the Cleveland State University.

Humaira Shafi and Noor Fatima were among the batch of 32 officers getting training from the Cleveland State University to serve at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency and Laboratory. Both the ladies were pregnant at the time of their departure last year, but the question that whether the Punjab Govt was aware about the actual situation or not remained unanswered. The pregnancy of Humaira Shafi was about seven and a half month while that of Noor Fatima it was about six and a half month. On realising the actual situation, the prudent US authorities, however, sent the other lady Noor Fatima back to Pakistan before her giving birth to a child. The authorities asked the lady to go back and return to the US for resuming training after giving birth to the child in the homeland. Patrick Coyne, Director of Training Institute in the US, is now behind the bars for four years and nine months for corruption related crimes. Coroner Frank P Miller with whom the then Chief Secretary Nadeem Hassan Asif signed MoU for training has been removed by new management. All three Board of Commissioners of the Institute had also been terminated on the charges of malpractices.

Software for the lab was purchased at 11 million US dollars. It is not analytical software and is just for storage of data.

Local firms were denied opportunity to participate on the pretext of accreditation of lab from the US. Pakistan National Accreditation Council for Laboratories was not consulted for the reason better known to the then Project Director Nayyar Mahmood and to the then consultant and now DG of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency Dr Ashraf Tahir. Dr Ashraf Tahir was forced to resign from his US job after he was caught by his institution of doing two jobs at the same time. Six Forensic Scientists of DNA/Serology were also sent for training to an institute in the US, not approved by American Board of Forensic Toxicology. These could have been trained at Centre of Excellence Molecular Biology Punjab University, the institution functioning with the collaboration of the USAID. Millions of rupees were also lost as chemicals and kits imported from the US expired without use.

First-ever international standard forensic science laboratory to investigate high-level criminal cases was scheduled to start functioning near Thokar Niaz Baig on 20 kanal and 18 marla covered areas in July 2010. The facilities in the laboratory when it will be fully functional at 20 kanal and 18 marla near Thokar Niaz Baig include audio video research, computer forensic, probe into crime death scene, DNA, firearms, fingerprints, drugs, Forensic Pathology, Forensic Photography, Polygraph, Trace Chemistry, Investigation, Serology, Investigation of documents and other things.

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Canal road expansion is going on very well. Only road carpeting is left on some patches...

Canal road expansion is going on very well. Only road carpeting is left on some patches...

Cool, can't wait for December holidays so that I can drive on new road :banana:

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Agreement signed for making Lahore a beautiful city

A ceremony was held for signing an agreement between Lahore Solid Waste Management and Istanbul Municipality for making Lahore a beautiful city by removing garbage.

Managing Director Solid Waste Management Company Lahore Wasim Ajmal and Chairman Albayrak Group of Companies (a leading company of Turkey), Ahmet Albayrak and Vice Chairman Ozkartallar Group of Companies, Muhibbi Kartal signed the agreement. Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Provincial Ministers, Members National and Provincial Assemblies, Acting Ambassador of Turkey Ayse Can Oztop and other senior diplomats were also present on the occasion.

Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, talking to the media said that today is a memorable day when an agreement has been signed between Lahore Municipality and two companies of Turkey. He said that under the agreement, Turk companies will remove waste from Lahore and make it a neat and clean and beautiful city like Istanbul. This agreement is for seven years, he added.

He said that Istanbul is comprising of a population of 18,000,000 and is the most beautiful and clean city of the world. Turk companies will also make Lahore neat and clean on the pattern of Istanbul, he added. He said this agreement will not only result in strengthening the relations of mutual love between the two countries but economic, trade and business ties will also be promoted and this agreement is its beginning. He said that Turk companies have reduced Rs.10 billion in tender price of the agreement which is reflective of their love towards Pakistan. He said that due to this agreement, new avenues of ties will open between the two countries.

The representatives of Turk delegation while talking on the occasion said that Pakistan is their second home and their hearts throb together.

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^^ very nice... hope the entire country gets buses like these one day

A NEW FAT FREE MINI MUBARAK CENTER..SHESSHHHHH BETTER THAN NOTHING I GUESS





LAHORE: The commercial landmark that was earlier scrapped at its foundation stage is back on track as both the Punjab government and Abu Dhabi Group have managed to launch it again though with some modifications in its main plan.

The Mubarak Centre, a complex under construction in Lahore, was scrapped by the current government of Punjab in 2009.

Initially, the project included towers having residential apartments and offices, conference halls and a shopping mall and it would have the tallest building in Pakistan.

An audit and accounts committee, consisting of representatives of both the Punjab government and Abu Dhabi Group, was established to make the feasibility report and finalise it before the next Board of Directors meeting scheduled to be held in January 2012.

However, after scrapping the project, the chief minister started negotiations again with Sheikh Mubarak Al Nahyan to reconsider the project with an amended construction plan.

The decision of reviving the Mubarak Centre was made in the Board of Directors meeting of the group held in Abu Dhabi on October 31, 2011, which was attended by Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mehmood Khosa, Planning and Development Board Chairman Javed Aslam, Finance Secretary Tariq Bajwa and seven members of the Abu Dhabi Group.

According to the new plan, in first phase, eight-floor Mubarak Centre would be constructed out of which half of the underground construction would be used for parking having capacity of 2,100 vehicles and above four floors of modern shopping centre.

However, the decision of constructing the high-rise tower which could be sighted from neighbouring India and Golden Temple in Amritsar could have been seen from its top floor had been cancelled.

It was decided to construct four more floors for commercial-cum-residential apartments and final floor would be a modern five-star hotel. In new design, the connecting tunnel of Mubarak Centre and Gaddafi Stadium had also been removed.

According to the agreement, the Punjab government owned 30 percent share of the project and would bear that cost of the project.

The sources, privy to the development, revealed that the Punjab government had already paid some Rs1.8 billion for the project in Pervaiz Elahi era.

However, following a delay in the project, the Punjab government had already received some Rs300 million dividend from its invested equity share.

The project was being carried out as a 70/30 joint venture between the Abu Dhabi Group and the Punjab government.

The two investors had formed a holding company for the Mubarak Centre, called Taavun (Pvt) Ltd, which was to be responsible for managing the project.

P&D Chairman Javed Aslam, when contacted, told The News confirmed that a decision had been made for the revival of the project. He said the final announcement would be made after next meeting of the Board of Directors of the group in January 2012 in which final change in the design would be approved. He said the change in design was made following the result of need-based survey conducted by the both the stakeholders which proved that use of apartments for living was not popular in Lahore.

Earlier, the ice was broken in the Dubai Business Conference held in Dubai in 2010 in which Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif met the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Group, Sheikh Mubarak Al Nahyan, and offered him to renegotiate the construction and ownership deal of the Mubarak Centre.

The work on the centre was stopped after some business contentions between the Punjab government and Abu Dhabi Group and later it was scrapped in 2009.

The project was designed to cover 11 acres of prime land on the main Ferozepur Road. Initially, the complex would consisted of four towers and a small eclipse-shaped building.

The main tower would have been 60 storeys high with the first 45 floors reserved for offices and the rest for residential apartments.

The plan included a five-star hotel (with 400 rooms, ballrooms, banqueting facilities and other amenities and a Cineplex (with six independent theatres). The other three towers would have been having 30 to 45 storeys with an eclipse-shaped tower in between, which would house individually designed apartments along a five-storey shopping mall, which would have been the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the region. The eclipse-shaped tower have also housed the largest reception and conference halls in the country, having capacity for 3,500 to 4,000 people.

ohh no...
hate punjab govt. for this...
let there be a land mark project.......
we need something to show to the world......

its not finalized yet... so, hopefully, they will come up with an equal good project..... not something consisting of 4 floors...

4 floors and not 60? Is this some kind of joke???

This world is full of imbeciles.......!!

CM orders 24/7 work on city uplift projects

LAHORE, Nov 6: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday ordered round-the-clock work on on-going development projects in the city in three shifts for their speedy completion.

He was presiding over a meeting which reviewed the pace of progress on the projects of rehabilitation of Multan Road, widening of Canal Road and Canal flyover.

Communication and works Secretary Maj (retired) Azam Salman informed the chief minister about the projects’ pace of progress, a handout said.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said the culture of working on the projects during night time had been promoted so that people should not face any inconvenience.

Expressing his indignation over the delay in construction of Multan Road, the chief minister asked the officers concerned that why the project could not be completed speedily like Kalma Flyover.

He directed them that all under-construction sections of Multan Road be completed by November 30, seeking submission of a plan in this regard within a week.

He also ordered round-the-clock work on the projects in three shifts, besides a comprehensive plan for smooth flow of traffic during their execution.

He said there should be bus-stops and well-designed pedestrian bridges on Canal Road.

The meeting was told that the work on Canal Road widening project was being carried out in accordance with the Supreme
Court decision that four new plants should be planted for every tree cut for the execution of the project.

The meeting was also told that 500 trees had been cut during the project and 8,000 new plants had been planted to replace them.

Members of national and provincial assemblies and officers concerned were present.

ASHIYANA SCHEMES: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the work on Aashiyana-II scheme on Barki Road will be started from December 25.

According to a handout, he was addressing a meeting during his visit to under-construction Ashiyana Housing Scheme at Saroba Atari here on Sunday.

He said work on the Ashiyana Housing schemes in Jehlum, Sahiwal, Faisalabad and Sargodha was continuing speedily whereas these schemes would be started in 17 more districts and their scope would be extended to the entire province under a phased programme.

The meeting reviewed the progress on Ashiyana-I, II schemes in Lahore and other districts of the province.

Punjab Land Development Company CEO informed the chief minister about the pace of work on the schemes.

The chief minister said the policy of austerity should be observed in execution of Ashiyana schemes and acquiring
of government land should be preferred for the purpose.

He said Barki Road ‘Aashiyana City’ consisting of more than 20,000 houses would be unique with regard to architecture, quality and transparency.

He said construction of multi-storey buildings and setting up of an industrial village for trade activities in Aashiyana-II should also be considered.

Punjab Land Development Company CEO in his detailed briefing told the meeting that land for Aashiyana schemes had been identified in 10 out of 17 districts of the province whereas the process of identifying land in other districts was also continuing speedily.

Later, Shahbaz Sharif inspected the under-construction houses and sports complex in Aashiyana Housing project.

COMPUTERIZATION: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting to review progress on the Land Record Management and Information System project here on Sunday.

Project Director Irfan Elahi informed the chief minister about the pace of work on the project.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said the after completion of the project people would not only be facilitated in getting revenue record but also get rid of ‘Patwari culture’ and corruption.

He said the fraud and forgery with regard to registration of properties would also be eliminated due to the computerisation of revenue record. Expressing satisfaction over the progress on the project over the last three months, the chief minister appreciated the efforts of steering committee in this regard. He said that due to the efforts of steering committee, more than
Rs1.5 billion had been saved in the operational expenses of the project.

He said five service centres would start functioning in various districts, including Lahore, next month.

He said the scope of the project would be extended to all districts of the province under a phased programme.

Earlier, the project director informed the meeting that hardware for four service centres had been completed and the process of hiring people for these centres had also been completed whereas the work on recruitment of staff for 11 more centres was on.

The meeting was told that the website of Land Record Management and Information System had been launched through which
citizens could get information about ownership of their properties.

http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/07/cm-orders-247-work-on-city-uplift-projects.html

Public transport: Route No 1 could go to Chinese bus service

The Lahore Transport Company is considering offering the most lucrative bus route in the city to a Chinese company about to start operations here even though a local company is currently running buses on the route.

Route No 1 runs from RA Bazaar to Sanda near Bund Road and is run by the First Bus Service. Thousands of commuters use it daily to get to government buildings and private offices as well as schools, colleges and universities on The Mall. The route is also kept clear of motorcycle and two-stroke rickshaws, which are often accused by bus companies of stealing their customers.

An LTC official told The Express Tribune that the management would probably award the route to the Foton Bus Company (FTC), which is to start operations in Lahore this month. He said that the LTC had engaged in lengthy negotiations with the Chinese company, in which Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and LTC chief Khawaja Hassaan had also been involved.

“An international company will always want the main routes and that was the case here too,” he said. “There is no comparison between the Chinese and local company … the government will always give preference to the Chinese company.”

LTC spokesman Amjad Hussain said no final decision on the issue had been made yet. He said that the LTC would facilitate all bus companies. He said a lack of buses meant that many commuters were forced to arrange their own transport. “Once quality bus services start their operations, the number of public transport users will definitely increase,” he added.

The First Bus Service won Route No 1 a year ago after the LTC took it away from New Khan Bus Service, which had operated there for over a decade, because it could not run the required number of buses on the route or keep its vehicles road worthy. The FBS is also currently operating just 15 buses on the route, when it is supposed to run at least 32. However, it has imported 20 buses from China which are currently at Karachi port and are to arrive in Lahore next week.

FBS Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Dastgeer said that the government would not be easily able to give the route to Foton since they had a signed agreement with the LTC in this regard. He said he had not heard of plans to award the route to the Chinese company.

FBS General Manager Maqsoodul Haq said he had not heard the plan either, but the FBS would oppose it. He said that the LTC had started a Coaster service on the route a few months ago that had hurt their business. “We have yet to receive the subsidy for buses operated on this route since January this year. We are owed a total of Rs13.8 million in subsidies on Route No 1,” he added.

This world is full of imbeciles.......!!

pakistan gov. has more then the rest of the world combined.

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