RAWALPINDI: The Punjab government will inaugurate the Rs34.08-billion Metro Bus Service project on February 28 even though it has not conducted a feasibility study of the project or prepared the mandatory Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

“This is routine matter of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) led provincial government to start mega projects in a hurry without meeting the prerequisites,” said a senior official of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), requesting anonymity.

He said the PML-N led provincial government, in its last tenure, had constructed Chandni Chowk, 6th Road and Pirwadhai Mor flyovers without the EIA report in 2011 and 2012.

Similarly, the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology and Rawalpindi Institute of Urology at Benazir Bhutto Road were launched without the report.

The provincial government has now decided to complete the Metro Bus service within 11 months.

However, construction work on the main artery of the city will adversely affect people, and the environment assessment report had not been prepared to minimise pollution in adjoining areas.

A senior official of Punjab Environment Protection Agency (Punjab-EPA), requesting anonymity, told Dawn that EIA reports assess the environmental impacts of any project.

“The reports identify options to minimise environmental damage which is why these are mandatory before the launch of mega projects,” he said

He added that the assessment gave planners the opportunity to point out environmental affects at an early stage so that the environment impacts can be addressed.

The official said EIA mainly focused on proposed physical developments such as highways, power stations, water resource projects and large-scale industrial facilities.

When contacted, District Officer (Environment) Mohammad Nawaz said the provincial government had not even applied for the EIA report.

“Whether or not it has applied for the report in Lahore (Punjab-EPA’s head office), I do not know,” he maintained.

When contacted, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Punjab Vice President Raja Tariq Kiani said the provincial government was trying to divert the attention of people from core issues.

“After forming the provincial and federal governments, PML-N failed to fulfill its promise to end electricity and natural gas loadshedding especially in the garrison city. It is now trying to draw the public’s attention to other facilities,” he said.

“PML-N was in a hurry to start such projects to get the goodwill of people before the local government elections,” he added.

Project briefing held

Meanwhile, Commissioner Zahid Saeed and Nespak (the project’s consultant) on Monday briefed PML-N local leaders and legislators about details of the project.

After the briefing, former MNA Malik Shakil Awan told Dawn that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had directed authorities concerned to construct the elevated road for the project such that in the future, a ‘Metro Train’ could also be run on it.

He added that traders and building owners would be compensated for their property according to the market rate.

To a question, he said he was not aware of the feasibility report, but the design of the metro bus road had been completed.

Commissioner Zahid Saeed was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.