Daily Times

LAHORE: The first shipment of coaches to be used in the Orange Line Metro Train has been dispatched by manufacturers from Shanghai. “The shipment is likely to reach Karachi by the 15th of September. It will reach Lahore by the end of September,” the OLMT project steering committee was informed on Wednesday.

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is also working on acquisition of land for construction of a retention pond for storm water. The pond for which 45-kanal land is being acquired at Kotli Ghassi and Bagrian Saydan villages will improve underground water table in adjoining areas of the OLMT’s depot at Dera Gujjran, said OLMT steering committee chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan.

Hassaan directed officials concerned to speed up work on finalising arrangements for parking coaches at the Depot at Dera Gujjran and Stabling Yard on Raiwind Road.

Earlier, the meeting was informed that 74 percent of civil works on OLMT project had been completed. “86 per cent of work on Package-I from Dera Gujjaran on GT Road to Chauburji was complete. Package-II runs from Chauburji to Ali Town. 53.2 percent of work on the package has been completed,” Hassaan said.

He said three fourths of the work on the Depot near Dera Gujran and the Stabling Yard near Ali Town had also been completed. He said electrical and mechanical work on 20 elevated stations of the metro train was underway. So far, 17 percent of that work has been completed, he added.

Civil work on area along Package-I has almost been completed, the meeting was told.

Further, Hassan directed authorities concerned that cleanliness and public hygiene should be a priority ahead of Eidul Azha. He directed utility service providers to chalk out a comprehensive plan for maintaining cleanliness during Eid holidays. He said illegal sale points for sacrificial animals should be eliminated from across the city. “The government has designated spaces for cattle markets. Cattle trade should be allowed only at designated places,” he said.

MPA Chaudhry Shahbaz, LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed, Punjab Mass Transit Authority General Manager Operations Syed Uzair Shah, TEPA Chief Engineer Saifur Rahman, NESPAK General Manager Salman Hafeez, and senior officials of LESCO, WASA, PTCL, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines, Traffic Police, Railways, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and representatives of the Chinese Contractor CR-NORINCO were present on the occasion.

Published in Daily Times, August 24^th 2017.