Daily Times

LAHORE: The work on Qartba Grid Station, underground cable project, has been halted because Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) could not get a “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) from the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO). The ongoing tussle over the matter between LESCO and CTO has delayed the underground wiring work from Sunny View Grid Station to Qartba Grid Station, Daily Times has learnt through reliable sources. The sources also informed Daily Times that the digging already done on Ferozepur Road had caused traffic jams and inconvenienced the public. Sources further said that the excavation spot had turned into a garbage dump, which poses an environmental hazard. The work was to be completed on March 31, but could not be completed yet, the sources informed.

Daily Times learnt through reliable sources that LESCO had a project involving double sourcing of two grid stations which included Qartba and Sunny View Grid station. LESCO was applying the double source strategy to avoid the electric supply disruption. Sources said that LESCO had planned this in case one source stopped. The second source would be made functional if a backup was needed. LESCO had paid 120 million rupees to Traffic Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (TEPA), Lahore Development Authority (LDA), City District Government and DCO. Despite the investment, the project, which reaches from Mozang to Qartba Grid Station has been at a standstill for the past one week.

While talking to Daily Times on the same matter, LESCO spokesman Imran Afzal said that the work was stopped because an NOC had not been issued by City Traffic Police Department. He said that as soon as LESCO receives the NOC, the work will resume. The LESCO Chief Executive was not available to comment on this matter. An officer in LESCO said that the Chief of Traffic Police (CTO) had not issued NOC for the project and that traffic wardens had not been appointed for the site. He said that due to these irregularities, the work could not be completed on the given date, March 31 2018.

Talking to Daily Times, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rai Ijaz informed that the NOC could not be issued as LESCO had no comprehensible work plan or timelines. He further said that the Mall Road was already closed due to protests and the construction of the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT). “LESCO wants to start this work on Ferozpur Road by digging the main routes including Mozang to Qartaba Grid Station of Bahawalpur Road. The traffic is already diverted in these routes and any further digging will create more traffic congestion. We have been asking LESCO to provide a complete work plan with a time frame, so that traffic management is done accordingly. So far, they have failed to provide any timeline or work plan”, Ijaz said. He also said that the NOC would not be issued unless LESCO provides their plans.

Published in Daily Times, April 8^th 2018.