Daily Times

Lahore was once known for its lush green gardens but is now known for its maze of underpasses and overpasses. The surge in developmental projects, especially road widening, has taken a toll on the city’s tree cover. The reduction of tree cover has also destroyed the habitat of many species.

Chopping down trees to widen roads affects both Lahore’s scenic beauty and the city’s carbon sink, which is a natural or an artificial reservoir that helps in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Medical practitioners have testified that an increase in the number of concrete structures leads to an increase in temperature, causing sunstrokes among pedestrians and motorcyclists during the summer and other environmental issues. According to a 2007 report by the World Bank, the environmental degradation due to unsustainable development and cutting down of trees is costing Pakistan one billion rupees every day.

With Lahore’s population increasing by the day, housing schemes have become a necessity. But these grand construction plans reduce the amount of land that could potentially be used for planting trees. There is no law that stops the conversion of prime agricultural lands for housing or commercial purposes. Construction activities are among the main reasons of damageto a large number of trees. Even the smallest amount of activity can cause grave and at times, irreversibledamage. UNESCO Islamabad selected a team of professionals to guide the interventions. For the gardens the same team was considered as well as additional experts in hydraulics, botanical studies and landscaping. The team went beyond the simple compilation of findings and generated a master plan for the overall restoration and conservation of the site. The baseline studies also helped to identify conservation priorities; under the guidance of UNESCO Islamabad, a conservation plan was also prepared.

There is no law that stops the conversion of prime agricultural lands for housing or commercial purposes. Construction activities are among the main reasons of damage to a large number of trees

Sharing the findings with the Punjab government has also allowed the identification of structures for future conservation, using a grant from the Getty Foundation. The Islamabad (Preservation of Landscape) Ordinance, 1966 includes earth, land, clay, rock, boulders, shingles, pebbles and any other substance over the surface of land, and grass, weeds, bushes, hedges, plants, standing trees, undergrowth and all objects of natural beauty visible to the eye.

No person shall remove, destroy, damage or alter anything, or commit any other act if such removal, destruction, damage, alteration or act affects or is likely to affect a landscape injuriously. The Pakistan Forest Policy1991 referred to conservation of biological diversity and maintaining ecological balance through conservation of natural forests, reforestation and wildlife habitat improvement. The goals were set to increase the network of the ‘protected areas’ for conservation and propagation of flora and fauna from twelve percent of the total area of the country against the existing seven percent. Local participation in the protection and conservation of resources was sought by sharing revenues from trophy hunting and promoting private game resources.

The Parks and Horticulture Authority in Punjab is responsible for the regulation, development and maintenance of public parks, green belts and green areas in Punjab; regulation of billboards, sky signs and outdoor advertisements; promotion of open and unrestricted views of Punjab; and to provide for other connecting matters.

The writer is an urban planner, working as a researcher in the University of management and Technology