Daily Times

The Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) has all set to develop Pakistan’s first ever industrial estate based on renewable energy in Ravi Riverfront City, aiming at promoting renewable energy practices in the country.

This was stated by RUDA Chief Executive Officer Imran Ameen while talking to journalists in Lahore. He said that renewable industrial estate will not just provide opportunities of employment but it will also help in curbing the environmental pollution. “This estate will provide many direct and direct benefits on the life of residents of the new city on both macro and micro level.”

To initiate such a project, Ameen said that it needed a great will power which former rulers had been lacking but Prime Minister Imran Khan took this step for the best interest of citizens. This was the need of time to develop cities in sustainable ways and Ravi city will be the example of modern and more sustainable in the region. “The major purpose of the project was the revitalizing of the river Ravi which is one the basic cause of degradation of Lahore’s ecosystem. River Ravi has been converted into a sewage drain that flows with a large amount of untreated and toxic wastewater.” According to the plan, Ameen informed that RUDA has all set to install water treatment plants on the both sides of river bank with the help of WASA aiming to dispose of treated water in the river and it will be also helpful in reducing the toxicity dumped in river bed. “There are many misconceptions among different segments of the society regarding the development of the new city in the river and this is because such a concept is very new in our country. It will be proven not just environmentally sustainable but also a major contributor toward the economic development of the country,” he added.

Ameen also revealed that RUDA had also planned to generate electricity from waste as no landfill site was planned in the new city. He said smart solutions based on modern technology were the key component of RUDA’s planning. He further said that RUDA as an Authority was creating strategic alliances to empower farmers with modern farming techniques i.e., Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Vertical farming, Greenhouses. These models have globally proven successful and require almost 70% water, land and resources that are currently being absorbed by traditional farming methods. Additionally, these modern farming techniques have proven to eradicate wastage whereby increasing farm output significantly. In simple terms, modern farming can produce greater output faster with 20% of the resources consumed by traditional farming. RUDA will empower displaced farmers with these techniques to upscale them from their current lifestyle.

He said the new city will provide a new ecological corridor to the region with its ponds, wetlands, wildlife sanctuaries, theme parks, botanical gardens, algae ponds. The new city will also promote pedestrianism besides having commercial green boulevards and major roads.

On a question he dispelled the impression that the new city was only planned for rich people by saying that the new city has 12 zones with various types of developments that were expected to cater to all subsets of the society, which also includes the lower middle income segment.