Polarising project: Construction near heritage sites ‘safe’

Reservations voiced over committee’s impartiality, autonomy

LAHORE: Construction for the Orange Line Metro Train Project in the vicinity of heritage sites is safe, the report of an advisory committee constituted by the government has revealed.

The report was shared on Thursday by the Lahore Bachao Tehreek. The committee was formulated to study the impact of the project on five major heritage sites. The sites studied were Shalamar Gardens, Gulabi Bagh, Buddhu’s Tomb, Chauburji and Zaibun Nisa’s Tomb. Without delving into details regarding how the sites were inspected, with reference to Shalamar Gardens, the report reads, “The LDA chief engineer took the team members to the exact location where piers of the track would be erected. The committee carefully examined the site and it was noted that the distance from the perimeter wall of Shalamar Garden was such that the development work and the operation of the train would not have harmful impact on the structure of Shalamar Garden nor would have it have effect on the setting or appearance of the monument.”

On changing the project’s route near Chauburji, the report reads, “it would result in an additional cost of Rs9 billion and displacement of another 1,300 people in the area whereas under the current plan 2,777 people would be displaced along the entire 27.1 km.” It also dismisses the underground option at Chauburji saying, “Underground option was discussed in detail and was not found viable due to technical constraints of slopes and curves. Moreover this option will result in massive, drastic and unjustifiable displacement of general public.”

Some of the basic recommendations of the report include using motifs from nearby heritage sites to ornament the project. Additionally, the report stresses the need to carry out proper landscaping near the sites to enhance visitors’ experience. It also suggests the establishment of a parking space near Shalamar Gardens. “The parking area in front of Shalamar Garden may be shifted and proper landscaping should be done in this area to enhance the beauty of this Garden,” it said. The report also recommends that rooftops in the site’s vicinity be properly maintained. The members of the committee have asked for three of the historical sites to be monitored constantly to study the impact of vibrations caused by the train.

Members of the committee formed under the Antiquities Act include Archaeology DG Khurshid Ahmed, Khalid Abdul Rehman of the NCA, Kanwal Khalid of Gulberg’s Government College for Women, former Lahore Museum director Anjum Rehmani, heritage expert Ayesha Rogers and MPAs Imran Nazir and Qamarul Islam Raja.

Activists campaigning against the project have opposed the committee over reservations regarding its autonomy and impartiality. “We proposed eight names but the government did not accept any of them,” activist Raheemul Haq said. He said they had noticed the report’s take especially in relation to damage from vibrations. Haq said this would be addressed in court.

Maryam Hussain, another activist, said one of their basic concerns was the lack of access to data used by the committee to reach its conclusions. She said the data had apparently been provided by the NESPAK or the LDA. They, she said, were not independent in connection with the project. She stressed the need to use authentic data to deduce conclusions regarding the project’s impact on the sites.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2016.