ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday transplanted five pine trees to avoid their cutting during construction of G-7 and G-8 underpass project.

A total of nine pine trees could have been chopped off because of the underpass project, the work for which resumed on Thursday.

The CDA arranged to shift the trees with the help of a transplanting machine which was arranged by Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Lahore.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan, Engineering Member Humayun Akhtar and other officers of the civic agency also visited the site to inspect the process.

“We are making every effort to save pine trees,” Mr Humayun said.

When asked about survival of the shifted trees, he said that trees were shifted at an appropriate place with the consent of the environment wing.

According to CDA spokesperson Safdar Ali, 1,000 trees have already been planted in the adjacent area.

Meanwhile, closure of the Zero Point Interchange (ZPI) has been causing difficulties for motorcyclists coming from Rawalpindi.

“There is no logic to close the U-turn because the actual project site is far away,” a motorcyclist told Dawn.

They have demanded the CDA chairman to look into the issue, as the diversion is causing traffic congestion.

However, a CDA engineer claimed that the U-turn was closed after consulting the traffic police to avoid traffic frenzy on Faisal Avenue near ZTBL.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2020