Punjab Govt bans new graveyards near river

[Salman]

Punjab Govt bans new graveyards near river

The administration of the Pakistani province of Punjab has imposed a ban on setting up graveyards along the River Ravi, directing the city district government of Lahore (CDGL) to establish seven more graveyards at identified areas near the Ring Road and other parts of the city.
“No graveyard will be allowed near the Ravi in future and the CDGL should immediately stop all those establishing graveyards there. The CDGL authorities, in collaboration with the Lahore Ring Road Project Management, should identify sites for setting up at least seven new graveyards near Lahore Ring Road,” Lahore commissioner Jawad Rafique Malik directed the officials concerned at a meeting held in Lahore yesterday. The meeting was chaired by MNA Saad Rafique.
Malik directed the officials to make certain that developers leave sufficient space for graveyards in all public and private housing schemes.
“The officials concerned should not issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) to those developers who do not leave ample space for graveyards in their housing schemes to avoid any inconvenience to residents in this regard,” he said.
Malik also ordered the construction of boundary walls at existing graveyards in various localities around Ring Road.
Giving detail on the land identified for seven new graveyards, the commissioner informed the participants that these would be set up near Shahdara on 163 kanal land, Ganj Kalan (168 kanal), Mauza Bhamma (132 kanal), Shalimar Mauza Mari (750 kanal), Mauza Barki (144 kanal), Model Town (242 kanal) and Chuhng (1,049 kanal).
He said the new graveyards would be established on the pattern/design of graveyards in Islamabad. He asked the authorities to immediately start working on the project.
“Officials will be responsible for the repair/maintenance work of new graveyards after completing the task in this regard,”