THE destruction of the environment continues unabated. After news of the recent rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in which 70 people lost their lives one reads in the newspapers of a Punjab government decision to cut more than1,300 fully grown trees along Lahore’s canal to widen the road from Thokar Niaz Beg to Harbanspura.

This news is truly shocking for those concerned about the environment and also to citizens who can’t understand why our petty officials leave our trees alone.

The southern part of Lahore has grown immensely with new housing localities springing up very quickly to cater to the growing population. This once leafy road with a variety of trees where both driving and walking was a great pleasure has now become a nightmare due to heavy vehicular traffic. The latest development plans will deal another grievous blow to the environment. The authorities are giving assurances they will plant 6,000 saplings, but these will take years to become mature trees.

In the developed countries, the stress is in on better traffic management and not cutting trees to widen the roads. There is a need to cultivate traffic sense among our motorists.

The Punjab capital has suffered enough degradation in the name of Metro bus and Orange train and can take no more destruction of the environment in the name of development.

Fawad Hashmey

Lahore

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2016