Pak-EPA to hold public hearing on Tarnol Underpass Interchange

Citizens can debate merits and demerits of project on N-5 on November 25

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has sought the opinion of the general public regarding construction of an underpass near Tarnol interchange, Islamabad. The environmental watchdog has also planned to organise a public hearing on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study of the project on November 25.

The assessment of physiographic, soil geology and hazard vulnerability within the study area had been carried out by Republic Engineering Corporation (REC).

In the EIA study water quality, noise, air quality, biological and socioeconomic assessments besides of changes in land use, health, hygiene and sanitation had been assessed.

The EIA report is largely silent about negative environmental impacts of the project, but it does say that a majority of identified negative impacts were insignificant, and suitable mitigation measures had been recommended. The report further highlights medium negative impacts of the project including generation of excess materials and natural drainages, noise and air pollution due to construction activities and operation of the project in addition to traffic havoc, road safety and soil erosion.

The EIA study, which mainly focuses on positive impacts including protection of life, property, reduction of noise and gaseous vehicular exhaust emissions, elimination of idle time on the closure of railway gates, increased the traffic capacity of the N-5 highway, lower transportation costs, time and reduction in vehicle maintenance and operation costs.

The proposed construction and operation of the Tarnol Underpass Interchange Projects to be carried out at National Highway N-5,on Rawalpindi-Fateh Jang-Kohat Road off from the N-5 highway towards the west at Tarnol.

National Highway N-5, which runs from Karachi to Torkham, has a length of 1,762 kilometres and is the most important National Highway in the entire road network of the country. It carries along 50 percent of the country’s freight and passenger traffic.

Rawalpindi-Fateh Jang- Kohat road takes off from the N-5 highway towards the west at Tarnol. Rawalpindi-Kohat railway line crosses the N-5 highway adjacent to the intersection. At present, Rail traffic is being controlled through a manned level railway crossing. It has been observed that there are at least 10 gate closures daily, thereby holding the road traffic at the gates about 6 to 10 minutes at each gate closure involving about 5,000 vehicles a day. Sometimes this time interval is exceeded causing great inconvenience to the road users.

The crux of the problem lies in the pandemonium which is created by the closure of gates at the rail level crossing on the N-5 highway. The project location is highly crowded with the heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and medium tactical vehicles (MTVs).

According to the EIA study, there was an urgent and immediate need to eliminate the traffic hold ups at this junction to provide relief to the road users and to the public of the area. Accordingly, EIA document did highlight the cost and timeframe for its completion and it only says that the schedule and cost of construction should be adjusted according to the date of commencement of
the construction.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2016.