The stay order passed against the felling of trees along the Canal Road may bring some respite for pollution-ridden Lahorites. The Supreme Court (SC) has stopped the Punjab government from cutting any trees till the conclusion of the case. In September 2011, the SC had declared the green belt on the both sides of the Canal Road (from Jallo Park to Thokar Niaz Beg) as a public heritage park and ordered the government to make efforts for its preservation. The government’s craze for widening more and more roads has again endangered the environs of the canal, which play a major role in protecting the city’s environment. The ambitious Canal Road widening project with new changes to the existing road pattern is again being taken up with the intention of easing the traffic mess. Seven percent of the population of Lahore owns vehicles while 90 percent rely on public transport and other modes of travelling. Pathetically, the project is aimed at facilitating only the seven percent. The Canal Road starts from Khaira Bridge and ends at Thokar Niaz Beg. It passes through the heart of the city with parallel asymmetric green belts on its sides. The green belts along Canal Road have fallen victim to urban sprawl. The road has been expanded at the cost of rhese green belts, which have shrunk considerably courtesy the Punjab government’s love for concrete in place of greenery. The canal road is the pride of Lahore but its beauty is depleting with the cutting of trees, which is also causing serious damage to the environment as well as the flora and fauna. Massive population and vehicles growth have multiplied the volume of traffic on the roads in Lahore. The increasing commercialisation and uncontrolled encroachments are other factors in the depletion of trees. Major commercial centres including marriage halls and hotels are being set up on the Canal Road that are using the green spaces for parking lots and have removed trees. Moreover, the depletion of trees is also affecting the temperature of the city and causing serious health issues that might aggravate if not controlled through the safety of our environment. Although the road widening project is ostensibly aimed at facilitating citizens, yet no strategy is being adopted to protect trees along the Canal Road, which are continuously depleting due to the persistent pressure of traffic and population. Instead of cutting trees and irrational widening of roads, the government should employ other options like introducing a mass transit system. Creating awareness about traffic rules among commuters in Lahore is also necessary. Every development step must be in the interests of the city and citizens otherwise it is a wastage of time and resources. *