Lahore: Punjab Govt aims to transform Lahore into 'city built in gardens'

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Greenbelts to be set up along 32 main roads, special lighting on The Mall to improve city’s aesthetics

By Ali Usman
LAHORE: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has devised a plan to beautify the city by increasing greenery at an estimated cost of Rs 500 million, Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) officials said on Friday.

The plan has been approved by Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif and all other departments concerned. The PHA will execute the project along with Solid Waste Management (SWM) and Lahore Development Authority (LDA). A committee consisting of officials from various departments will be formed. Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervaiz will head the committee and will also supervise all development works in this regard. The Punjab government will provide half the budget for the project while the other half will be collected from advertisement.

Plan: Under the plan, green belts will be set up on 32 main roads of the city. The empty corners of turns and roads will be turned into gardens and the already existing green belts will also be furbished. Mustafa Kamal, Chairman of the Task Force to CM on PHA, said greenbelts will be set up alongside The Mall, Jail Road and the Ferozepur Road in the initial stage of the project.

Kamal said the basic work on the project, including cleaning the roads and setting up greenbelts, will be completed by March 2009. He said the project will be completed in a year. The concept of visual gardens will make the city look beautiful and will enhance the tourism industry, he added.

He said the PHA was assisting the Forest Department in plantation of trees and greenbelts. Around 100,000 plants will be placed at various spots to improve the city’s aesthetics. The PHA planned to provide 800 parks with all basic facilities. He said the landscaping of The Mall was also part of PHA’s plan. Lights will be arranged to give The Mall a historic and a befitting look, he added.

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