‘Eviction along Leh Expressway starts in 72 hours’

Govt acquired land at market rates, development to start after monsoon

RAWALPINDI: Government has acquired land for Leh Expressway and the eviction process will start within 72 hours, said focal person on Leh Expressway Project Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed.

People living along the planned thoroughfare have been paid for their land as per market rate and would be asked to evacuate in next 72 hours, Rasheed said talking to the media during his visit to the Gwalmandi area on Wednesday.

Work on project would initiate soon after the end of monsoon season, he said adding that foundation stone laying ceremony was expected in August, he said.

All arrangements were being finalised to start construction work of the much awaited project as soon as possible.

The minister said cost of the Leh Expressway project had jumped to Rs70 billion which was around Rs18 billion when conceived. The project would be constructed on Build-Operate-Transfer basis, he added.

He said the 23km-long expressway would start from the Soan Bridge instead of Ammar Chowk in Chaklala to facilitate maximum population, adding the project would change fate of the citizens particularly living along the Leh Nullah as the citizens would be allowed to construct commercial buildings along the road.

He said, the authorities concerned had devised a plan for preventing flood in Nullah Leh during monsoon.

The minister urged the citizens living in the city's low-lying areas near nullahs not to throw solid waste and garbage in the nullah to avoid blockages.

He said citizens should contribute to the sanitation department's efforts regarding cleanliness of the Nullah.

Solid waste should only be deposited at specified points, he added. He said Nullah Leh was being cleared of silt and solid waste and being widened and deepened to save the city from floods.

He informed that all the departments concerned including District Administration, WASA, Rescue-1122, Police, Army and others were alert and had finalised arrangements to cope with flood situation in Nullah Lai.

"The government is working to permanently resolve the issue of flooding in Nullah Lai.

Feasibility study of the Leh Expressway project has been completed besides PC-I of the project," he said.

He informed, under the project, three sewage treatment plants would also be installed on Nullah Leh to treat grey water which would be used in parks, green belts and for other purposes.

To a question, he said the construction work of Rawalpindi Mother and Child Hospital project had been started. The Punjab government had approved two universities and three colleges for Rawalpindi, he added.  Sheikh Rashid said the matters pertaining to up-gradation of Main Line-I (ML-1) from Karachi to Peshawar would be finalised soon.

The up-gradation of 1,700 kilometre-long Main-line 1 (ML-1) track would change the entire look of Pakistan Railways and bring economic revolution in the country.

Sheikh Rasheed said the railways launched 36 new trains to facilitate maximum number of passengers during last 10 months. "We increased over six million passengers which can further be enhanced up to 10 million," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2019.