MULTAN: The Defence Housing Authority has planned a mega project in Multan and selected the area under mango orchards, upsetting the environmentalists as DHA has reportedly not submitted the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report to the environment protection department.

Felling of green and fruit-laden mango trees has also been started.

While expanding its boundaries and limits, the DHA Lahore has constituted its three chapters in Multan, Gujranwala and Bahawalpur and announced housing projects in these cities a couple of years back.

The DHA has demarcated northern bypass in the south, Multan-Khanewal-Lahore Road in south-east, Bund Bosan in the west and Alampur in the north of its proposed housing project.

Felling of mango trees starts

The northern limit of the project originates south of Lutafabad village, runs along north of Chak Nuadand and terminates at Mattital Road at south of Jalwala while the eastern limit of the project is Mattital Road.

Similarly, the southern limit originates from Shakh-i-Madina Canal Mattital Road junction, runs north of Nursarwala, south of Punj Khua, turns north, passes south of Garewahan and touches Bosan Road near Pirewala Chah while western limits starts along east of Bosan Road from Pirewala Chah to south of Lutfabad.

It has been decided that the commercial activities in Mauza Gith Brabar on Bosan Road will be controlled by the Multan Development Authority while the Multan chapter of the DHA Lahore can acquire land beyond 500 metres east of Bosan Road in Mauza Harawal and Mauza Lutfabad.

The DHA has started process of purchasing land and the people are being asked to sell their land while cutting of mango trees has been started.

“I have sold out my land to a front man of DHA who asked me to clear the land by cutting the trees,” said a farmer. He said he was not only paid full amount of his land “but I was also ‘obliged’ by allowing me to sell trees.”

District Officer (Environment) Zaffar Iqbal confirmed that the DHA did not submit the EIA report required for launching a new development project.

Meanwhile, Zahoor Joya, executive director of Sojhla for Social Change (a non-government organisation), said it was unfortunate that the environment had never been a priority at government level.

He said as per Section 12 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, EIA must be submitted to the environment department to calculate the environmental consequences of a development project.

He demanded that the DHA shift its housing project from the area under orchards.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2014