Daily Times

LAHORE: Due to inefficiency, a lack of interest and poor follow ups by the Pakistan Railways (PR) and Parks Horticulture Authority (PHA) Punjab, the green plantation drive alongside the railway tracks between Shahdara and Raiwind could not be launched yet.

During the tenure of former Railways federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and in the presence of other officials from PR and PHA, an agreement titled Rail Green Corridor was signed by PHA Director General Mian Shakeel Ahmed and Division Superintendent Railways Lahore Waqar Ahmed Shahid under which the PHA was bound to convert open spaces and land along the railway tracks into green belts, in 2016.

Initially with Rs 820 million, a pilot project was being undertaken from Shahdara to Raiwind for the development of First Railway Green Corridor in a joint venture with PHA and the authorities claimed that 1,800 kanal land was to be converted into parks whereas PHA had to plant 32,500 trees to provide recreational facilities to almost 1.5 million people. It was further learnt that the project had to be completed within 18 months whereas upon the successful completion of the pilot project, similar projects had to be initiated at other available locations.

According to sources, The National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) Architecture & Planning Division Lahore had won the rail green corridor project by presenting a proposal to Khawaja Saad Rafique and officials of PHA at Railway Headquarters in June 2017.

Sources were of the opinion that NESPAK had offered the scope of services including topographic surveys, geotechnical investigations, design of green areas; infrastructure works and tender documents whereas the project area was almost 40 kilometres consisting of 33 different locations and belts on both sides of the railway track.

Sources also said that the proposed design given by NESPAK was a beautiful state-of-the-art sustainable development considering the local environment, community needs and lush green horticulture sleeve of the transportation corridor for Lahore.

The proposed design comprised the children’s play area, open gyms, cycling, jogging tracks, digital libraries, picnic huts, boating lakes and many other facilities to develop social connection and leisure pattern in interactive ways of spaces. Sources said that the land alongside the railway tracks was in a poor state due to the dumping of waste by the locals and it presented an unpleasant view and was a source of many diseases like malaria and dengue etc.

In February 2018, the government had approved the feasibility report for setting up the Green Railway Corridor and the PHA had asked for funds worth Rs 1 billion from the Punjab Development Board.

While talking exclusively to Daily Times, the former PHA DG who is presently acting as the managing director of Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab, Mian Shakeel Ahmed said, “The First Railway Green Corridor project had been approved by the Planning & Development Department last year and the government had also granted the funds for the project. We had also planned to float the tenders for this project but later on, due to some issues, the funds had been constrained whereas during this fiscal year, the government has fixed some funds for the project. As soon as the government releases the funds, we will initiate the project”.

Division Superintendent Railways Lahore Sufyan Dogar also while talking exclusively to Daily Times said, “This project was conceived to beautify the railway lines because most of the railway lines and nearby areas were being used as waste yards by the locals. People living near the locality of such railway tracks lack awareness and could not keep the place clean so we initiated the concept to have a beautiful green belt alongside the railway track with different plants which would look good to the tourists and travellers.” He added that the delays were due to lack of funding as the project was to be financially supported by the government.

“Later the government changed and now I hope that the new government would take interest in this project to make the railways tracks and adjoining areas beautiful. This is a much needed project as internationally we see similar projects and beautification,” Sufyan Dogar concluded.

Published in Daily Times, July 31^st 2018.