LAHORE: Lahore’s civic agencies have picked up pace to complete several small-scale development schemes in the city as soon as possible, directing the departments concerned to start working in night shifts.

“We need to start working round the clock if we want to complete development schemes within the stipulated timeframe to provide relief to the public,” Lahore Development Agency (LDA) Director General Usman Moazzam said while inspecting the roads remodeling project at Thokar Niaz Baig on Sunday.

Currently, patchwork of several roads and other schemes worth Rs600 million are under way at 46 spots.”All these schemes must be completed by Oct 15,” instructed Mr Moazzam, who was accompanied by Chief Engineer Mazhar Khan. He sought initiation of patchwork of Canal Road from Thokar Chowk to Shahkam Chowk and its completion within a week.

While the patchwork of roads, carpeting of asphalt near Gaddafi Stadium roundabout, M.M. Alam Road, from Firdaus Market to Hussain Chowk, Upper Mall continues, Lahore Municipal Corporation (MC), the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) have also accelerated work on a number of other schemes.

“Work on as many as 30 schemes continues in various parts falling within the Municipal Corporation’s controlled area,” said a senior official.

The commissioner, also the MC administrator, has given 10 days to complete the work. Meanwhile, Wasa and Tepa officials told Dawn that the work on various schemes related to traffic engineering, roads, sewerage, drainage was under way. “Road geometry has been improved for better traffic circulation in the area to avoid jams,” said a Tepa official.

Meanwhile, the Lahore teams of Pakistan Railways on Sunday captured 120 passengers for travelling in various trains without tickets, according to a spokesman.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2019