The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has failed to comply with the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency conditions for the project “Construction of Signal-Free Corridor from Qartaba Chowk Jail Road to Liberty Roundabout at Mail Boulevard Gulberg Lahore”, Pakistan Today has learnt.
This was mentioned in a show cause-notice by the Punjab EPA to LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed on July 20, 2017. The EPA, while issuing ‘Environmental Approval’, on September 22, 2015 had mentioned 25 conditions which LDA had to comply with.
However, according to EPA’s show-cause notice, LDA could not fulfill all the conditions for the said project which was completed in February 2016.
“It has come to the notice of Environmental Protection Agency Punjab through reports received from EPA Field Office Lahore that you have not complied with the 12 conditions of Environmental Approval appropriately,” read the show-cause notice.
According to details, EPA’s had asked LDA to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) but LDA did not submit any report in this regard to EPA Field Office.
The EPA said, “Mitigation measures suggested in the EPA report and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and monitoring plan shall be strictly adhered to minimize any negative impacts on soil, ground water, air and biological resources of the project area.” EPA remarked on this condition as mitigation measures were adopted to some extent but no justification had been provided to EPA Field Officer.
According to EPA, LDA had not fulfilled the condition of submitting any monitoring report for the entire period of the project activities.
The EPA had remarked that not such activity has been performed by LDA on the condition: The proponent (LDA) shall allocate one per cent of the total cost of the project for the tree plantation and shall handover this amount to the director general, Parks and Horticulture Authority Lahore for plantation of trees especially of indigenous species of minimum height from 6-7 feet in Lahore after intimating the EPA.
LDA had to provide information regarding the effective measures to protect the patients of nearby hospitals and residents of the area from noise pollution and for the said purpose the noise barriers had to be installed in form of high boundary walls. But, according to EPA, the proponent did not provide any information in this regard.
EPA wrote that the traffic management activities were observed during project construction and traffic flow issues were also observed while in its condition LDA had to formulate a proper traffic management plan.
As per conditions, LDA was bound to provide pedestrian and vehicular passage during the construction phase but LDA could not abide with condition as EPA remarked that no suitable passage for pedestrians was made and traffic flow was also disturbed.
EPA also remarked on condition of preferring construction of underpasses for the pedestrian and providing ramp for the bicycles and motorcycles that LDA could not make proper arrangements. Pakistan Today tried to take comment from LDA official but no one was available for comment.
