Under the scanner: Citizens’ initiative raps controversial train project
Meeting organised at HRCP office
HRCP
LAHORE:
Various concerns regarding the Orange Line Metro Train project were raised on Wednesday at a meeting convened at the office of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
The Office of Conservation and Community Outreach (OCCO) founder Attiq Ahmed and activist Maryam Hussain said the government had repeatedly said that the initiative was premised on JICA and Systra studies. They said the route of the project was the only thing taken from the study. They said the project’s design was based on a study carried out by NORINCO, the Chinese company providing rolling stock for the project.
Ahmed said the old concept in line with the studies had been scrapped to ensure quick service delivery. Pointing to the design of the stations and the elevated track, he said, that it did not tie in well with the structure and aesthetic of the city. Ahmed said they had nothing to do with city’s structure. He said the elevated track would infringe on people’s privacy in many places. “Earlier, the plan was to use tunnel technology since it causes minimal surface disturbance,” Hussain said quoting both studies done by Systra and JICA. She said in the former study, the plan was to connect the mass-transit system with the railway. Hussain said this would have greatly augmented its reach and ultimately benefited the entire province.
They named 25 sites of historical importance that fall along the project’s route. While some of these like the Mauj Darya shrine and Mahabat Khan’s garden are protected under the Antiquites Act, other buildings on Nicholson Road and McLeod Road are not protected.
They said work had only been discontinued over a small area near the Shalamar Gardens following the UNESCO’s intervention. They said the final status of the GPO and areas marked within its building was still not known. They said none of the environmental impact mitigation measures discussed in the EIA report were being implemented at the project’s construction site. Leader of the Opposition in the PA Mehmoodur Rasheed said the PTI would take up the issue in the parliament. “We will formulate a clear plan of action in this regard,” he said. Rasheed said the government would have to give a proper reply to citizens’ reservations. He said they would also invite other parties to participate as this was a matter that would impact every Lahori.
MPA Vickas Mokal of the PML-Q said the original plan had been formulated under the Elahi government so he was aware of the changes made to it. “A country is recognised by its history. These people are destroying it,” he said while referring to the government. He said despite assurances by the government that no harm would be done to sites of historical importance, what was being witnessed was something completely else. He said verbal assurances were of no use if the actual plan had not been amended. “This government is extremely haughty. When we tell them of the damage being done they tell us otherwise,” HRCP general secretary IA Rehman said. He called for public protests across the social spectrum to prevent the project’s construction. Those present at the meeting demanded a comprehensive public review of the project. They said it was important to reveal information to have it assessed by independent experts.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2016.
Various concerns regarding the Orange Line Metro Train project were raised on Wednesday at a meeting convened at the office of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
The Office of Conservation and Community Outreach (OCCO) founder Attiq Ahmed and activist Maryam Hussain said the government had repeatedly said that the initiative was premised on JICA and Systra studies. They said the route of the project was the only thing taken from the study. They said the project’s design was based on a study carried out by NORINCO, the Chinese company providing rolling stock for the project.
Ahmed said the old concept in line with the studies had been scrapped to ensure quick service delivery. Pointing to the design of the stations and the elevated track, he said, that it did not tie in well with the structure and aesthetic of the city. Ahmed said they had nothing to do with city’s structure. He said the elevated track would infringe on people’s privacy in many places. “Earlier, the plan was to use tunnel technology since it causes minimal surface disturbance,” Hussain said quoting both studies done by Systra and JICA. She said in the former study, the plan was to connect the mass-transit system with the railway. Hussain said this would have greatly augmented its reach and ultimately benefited the entire province.
They named 25 sites of historical importance that fall along the project’s route. While some of these like the Mauj Darya shrine and Mahabat Khan’s garden are protected under the Antiquites Act, other buildings on Nicholson Road and McLeod Road are not protected.
They said work had only been discontinued over a small area near the Shalamar Gardens following the UNESCO’s intervention. They said the final status of the GPO and areas marked within its building was still not known. They said none of the environmental impact mitigation measures discussed in the EIA report were being implemented at the project’s construction site. Leader of the Opposition in the PA Mehmoodur Rasheed said the PTI would take up the issue in the parliament. “We will formulate a clear plan of action in this regard,” he said. Rasheed said the government would have to give a proper reply to citizens’ reservations. He said they would also invite other parties to participate as this was a matter that would impact every Lahori.
MPA Vickas Mokal of the PML-Q said the original plan had been formulated under the Elahi government so he was aware of the changes made to it. “A country is recognised by its history. These people are destroying it,” he said while referring to the government. He said despite assurances by the government that no harm would be done to sites of historical importance, what was being witnessed was something completely else. He said verbal assurances were of no use if the actual plan had not been amended. “This government is extremely haughty. When we tell them of the damage being done they tell us otherwise,” HRCP general secretary IA Rehman said. He called for public protests across the social spectrum to prevent the project’s construction. Those present at the meeting demanded a comprehensive public review of the project. They said it was important to reveal information to have it assessed by independent experts.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2016.