LAHORE, Jan 11: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that every effort will be made to beautify the provincial metropolis and purge it of garbage.

He directed that heaps of garbage should be removed from the city within one month while the process of shifting cattle and cent percent repair work of streetlights be completed by Jan 25.

The chief minister issued these directions while addressing a meeting held regarding the beautification of Lahore on Sunday. MPAs Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Wasim Qadir, Mohsin Latif, Taskforce chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hasaan, Taskforce on Horticulture Authority chairman Mustafa Kamal, the Lahore Division Commissioner, the DCO, the LDA director-general, the Wasa managing director and Solid Waste Management managing director were also present.

According to a handout, the chief minister directed that a plan for beautification of historic Iqbal Parks should immediately be evolved to provide better recreational facilities to the residents of the Walled city.

He also directed the SWM to evolve a comprehensive strategy regarding sanitation of the city while arrangements should also be made for the disposal of rainwater before the start of the summer season. Billboards, he said, should not be made a source of income and the city should be rid of this menace for restoring its historical beauty. However, he said installation of billboards could be considered at some places, but these would not be allowed on roofs.

He also ordered the removal of LCDs installed at different roads and said that a policy should be evolved for their installation at suitable places.

The construction of all broken roads must be ensured besides making certain maximum plantation on all roads, he said.

He asked the commissioner that parks should be restored in their original shape and all shops present there should be removed for the provision of better recreational facilities to the people.

Shahbaz said that services of foreign consultants would be acquired for transforming the Jallo Park into a park of international standard.

The chief minister directed the PHA to compile a calendar for improving the condition of 300 parks of Lahore.

He said that removal of garbage from the provincial metropolis and later generation of energy from it was in priorities of the government while negotiations with foreign and local firms were in progress in this regard.

The chief minister directed the SWM MD to adopt an effective strategy regarding cleanliness of the city on a daily basis. He said that roads should be washed and removal of garbage should be ensured.

A vigorous campaign, he said, should be launched for creating awareness among the people about cleanliness of their mohallahs, localities and surroundings. He said the city should be divided into small units for purging it of filth besides special committees should be constituted under the supervision of public representatives for monitoring the cleanliness process.

Earlier, the Taskforce on Horticulture chairman and the PHA director-general informed the meeting that implementation of the project for making the provincial metropolis a city of gardens was underway and beautiful models and landscapes were being developed at various places.

He said the process of beautification of 12 important roads would be completed by Jan 31 and that of Mall Road by Feb 15.

The SWM managing director said that under the cleanliness programme of Lahore, the Shalimar Town had been selected in the first phase which would be cleaned within one month.