22 July 2004	Thursday	04 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

LAHORE, July 21: After a week of demolition of the Punjab University's eight pedestrian bridges, the government remains undecided about what it has to construct -- underpasses along the canal or over the canal, overhead bridges or flyovers.

The Punjab government, which hurriedly announced construction of two underpasses on the New Campus and razed the pedestrian bridges in a midnight operation last week, has been looking for suggestions from the department concerned and the university.

Although the operation was launched under the supervision of the communication and works department, its senior officials had not been consulted for further work on the project.

"We were not asked to prepare any feasibility of the construction of either underpasses or flyovers on the New Campus before the demolition of the canal bridges," said a senior officer. He said the government should have taken experts into confidence before the action.

C&W chief engineer Iqbal Khokhar told Dawn here on Wednesday that the construction of the underpasses along the canal was being carried out under the JICA's study. When asked that the study suggested construction of an underpass after a distance of at least five kilometres, he said the decision to construct underpasses at the PU was taken as part of 'new developments.'

However, he said, the underpasses across the canal which had to connect hostels to the departments might not be considered because of risk of seepage and insecurity.

Superintendent Engineer Manzoor Bashir said Nespak had been asked to prepare the feasibility of underpasses, overhead bridges or flyovers at the proposed sites. Nespak would finalize the feasibility after incorporating the suggestions of the university administration in this regard, he added.

The government, which did not bother to consult any of the stakeholders before the demolition of the bridges, is now saying that the final decision will be taken after reaching a consensus.

Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, who is also chancellor of the university, told reporters on Wednesday that the plan to build underpasses or flyovers would be finalized after consulting all stakeholders like teachers, students and employees.

He said the work to lay fibre roof on the existing overhead bridges would begin in a couple of days. Environmental experts would also be consulted before taking the decision, he added.

On the other hand, the PU administration has engaged the stakeholders to determine their course of action during their meetings with Nespak and the C&W department.

A PU Academic Staff Association representative said there was no difference of opinion between the teachers and students on the issue. "We want underpasses along the canal," Islami Jamiat Tulaba Nazim Rana Arshad confirmed.