Shahdara-Raiwind green zone ready

20 acres along rail tracks turned into recreational areas

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has launched a Green Railway Corridor project inspired by modern urban development models.

The four-phase project aims to transform abandoned and garbage-strewn railway land into landscaped public spaces with a target of developing 32 parks along rail corridors across the province.

In the first phase, 20 acres of land stretching from Shahdara to Raiwind have been converted into green belts, gardens and recreational areas. In addition, 21 parks have been developed along the track, providing recreational facilities for residents while contributing to environmental improvement.

The 45-kilometre green corridor project carries an estimated cost of Rs1.77 billion.

It is being implemented jointly by the Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) and Pakistan Railways.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has directed authorities concerned to remove all obstacles delaying the remaining phases of the project at the earliest and ordered that the pace of implementation be accelerated.

An elderly resident of a locality benefiting from the initiative termed the project an inspiring example of urban development.

Soil, water testing

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has also launched a 'Lab on Wheels' project aimed at providing farmers on-site scientific testing of soil and water samples as part of the province's drive towards digital agriculture.

Under the initiative, a farmer will be able to summon a mobile laboratory through a phone call.

Field teams will collect soil and water samples from the farm and carry out scientific analysis on the spot. Test reports will be issued immediately, along with expert guidance.

The chief minister said during a briefing that accurate soil assessment and the balanced use of fertilisers were essential to making Punjab agriculturally self-sufficient. She said agriculture in the province had been shifted from conventional practices to a scientific and digital model with the objective of reducing production costs and increasing per-acre income.

The mobile laboratories will measure soil acidity and electrical conductivity besides key nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK).

The results will be uploaded instantly through a mobile application.

Each report will include recommendations on suitable crops and fertiliser requirements based on the condition of the land. A digital copy of the report will be sent to the farmer through mobile phone.

Agricultural experts will also provide advisory services at the farm.

Officials informed the chief minister that a central control room had been activated to ensure transparency and strict monitoring of the project. All mobile laboratories will be tracked, while live camera streaming and dashboard monitoring systems will help assess the performance of teams.

Farmers' requests would be registered immediately and laboratory visits scheduled following approval by a district in-charge.

The officials said balanced use of fertilisers would improve soil quality while reducing production costs.

A GPS-based soil map of Punjab will also be developed through real-time cloud data storage.

The project has set an annual target of collecting 20,000 soil samples, organising 500 field days and training 15,000 farmers each year.