Plan for new city

In a fashion typical of governments in developing countries where development plans suffer delays and hiccups and much money is lost in the process, the PTI-led government in Punjab is taking steps to revive the plan for building a new city near the Ravi river. The plan was conceived during 2002-7 when Chaudhry Pervez Elahi was chief minister of the province, and he had met foreign investors to solve the problems of Lahore arising from increasing population and shrinking space, environmental issues and other constraints. Some initial work had also started but things stopped after his government left office. When Shehbaz Sharif took over, a special unit was created in the Lahore Development Authority for the project. Experts and consultants from within the country and abroad were also hired. A foreign firm was hired as consultants. It reportedly received around Rs300 million for consultation work, which included providing services to various departments. When the government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif ended, the special unit in the LDA was closed down.

After remaining in limbo for years, now the provincial government is planning to prepare a new feasibility report of the project though it is estimated that the scheme will cost a large amount all over again. Under the plan, the flow of the river was to be temporarily stopped and 44,150 acres around it were to be acquired for residential and commercial development work. High-rise buildings of up to 25 storeys were planned on the waterfront and less high buildings behind them. Horizontal residential buildings and commercial stores and other businesses were planned farther inside. Now the Punjab chief secretary has given the task of preparing a fresh feasibility report to the housing department and issued instructions to other relevant departments.

There is no denying the fact that in cities housing needs to be provided through vertical expansion due to the limitation of land.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2020.

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