Restoring Royal Trail: Underground electric wiring replaces overhead network

WCLA removes 20 transformers, 97 poles, wires from Delhi Gate to Kotwali Chowk.

LAHORE:

The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has removed overhanging electricity wires and pylons from Delhi Gate to Kotwali Chowk on the Royal Trail. An underground electricity system has been set up there.

The area includes 54 streets, 655 houses and 157 shops. Work is also being done to preserve the facades of old houses and to remove encroachments.

Talking to The Express Tribune, WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said that removing the electricity wires was an important component of the Shahi Guzargah project.

“The overhead wires were an eyesore and a hazard for the people. We have set up a system of underground electricity supply for this part of the Walled City, giving the place a new look. We hope to extend it to other areas of the Walled City,” he said.

He said that the WCLA had so far removed 20 transformers, 97 electricity poles, 175 metres of low tension wires and 120 metres of high tension wires.

Shahid Durrani, the WCLA infrastructure and engineering director, said that they had installed new electricity meters at houses located on the Royal Trail. “Removing the poles was a labourious process because it involved three sub-divisions,” he said.

Asim Sajjad, a senior electrical engineer at the WCLA, said that they had conducted extensive tests to ensure that they could meet LESCO standards.

“We wanted to make sure that the residents did not face any problem once the new system was operational,” he said.

Muhammad Nadeem, a resident of the area, said that the removal of the wires had been “a blessing” for them. “The overhead wires clustered near many balconies and windows. These caused power outages, especially during rain or thunderstorms,” he said.

Fifty-seven shops outside the Shahi Hamam and 72 shops next to Wazir Khan Mosque have also been permanently removed. By the end of 2015, the Shahi Guzargah from Kotwali Chowk to Masti Gate will be restored.

The cost of the renovation project is Rs1.35 billion, out of which Rs724 million has been allocated for the Urban Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Improvement Programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2015.