–Govt to impose Rs1,000 fine on littering, spitting on the historic road from 7th
–LHC orders restoration of pre-partition buildings
After the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict in a bid to improve cleanliness of the provincial beautiful, the city’s district administration has declared The Mall a ‘model road’ to ban spitting and littering on the historical artery from August 7.
All illegal signboards on shops, restaurants and commercial buildings will be removed as part of the campaign while a fine of Rs1,000 will also be imposed on the violators from Tuesday onwards.
Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) head Capt (retd) Anwarul Haq directed the company’s acting managing director to make a comprehensive plan, in consultation with all departments concerned, for the cleanliness of The Mall Road. He appealed to citizens to dispose of waste properly in the bins rather than littering. He indicated that the company has already directed its enforcement wing to impose fines on violators from August 7.
He also directed the company’s officials to adopt effective measures and conduct special cleanliness awareness campaigns, install additional waste bins, ensure availability of workers and alert the enforcement team to impose fines on all those who are illegally disposing their waste or are involved in littering.
LHC VERDICT:
In the LHC verdict, Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi on Thursday, ordered action against those who spit or litter on Mall Road. He also directed the district administration to initiate civil works to rere the original grandeur of historic buildings starting next week. He said that there is a need to create awareness among the public about the significance of heritage.
In addition, the court also directed utility companies, including Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), to remove all untoward wiring from Mall Road. The administration has also removed all illegal signboards on shops, restaurants, and commercial buildings.
The Mall houses some of the historical buildings, which date back to 18th century, including the Governor’s House, Punjab Assembly and Chief Minister Secretariat. The city’s only statue of Sanskrit Professor Alfred Woolner, former vice chancellor of the Punjab University, is located on The Mall outside the old campus.
On the other hand, the high court has ordered the restoration of these old buildings and work will start on August 7. These buildings include the museum, town hall, and GPO.
