LAHORE: An official of the Environment Protecting Department (EPD) has asked the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) administration on Friday to ensure presence of maximum residents of the localities, where new projects have been planned or launched, in the public hearings in a bid to know their observations, suggestions and grievances (if any) related to these schemes.

The official said this during a public hearing organised by the EPD at the LDA Johar Town Sports Complex on the environment impact assessment (EIA) of the mega project -- Rehabilitation of the Bund Road (from Babu Sabu Interchange to Ring Road & Gulshan Ravi T-Junction underpass – to be launched by the authority.

“The LDA should have made arrangements for bringing here (sports complex) the people living in the areas of Babu Sabu, Shera Kot, Shaheenabad, Talat Park and outer part of Gulshan-i-Ravi abutting Bund Road — the localities where this project is being launched soon,” an official source privy to the public hearing quoted the EPD official as having said on the occasion.

“If this is not possible, you should have arranged a venue for the public hearing nearby the aforementioned localities,” the EPD official added.

However, the project’s environment consultant present there on behalf of the LDA dispelled the impression stating the authority was not liable to bring people in the public hearings by arranging transport. “Under the law, the LDA is only liable to advertise this event in newspapers through public notices, that it has already done.

And if someone, despite advertisement, avoids attending such events, the responsibility lies with him/her and not the LDA,” he clarified.

On the occasion, the LDA officials concerned briefed the participants, including stakeholders, about the project launch, its objectives, benefits etc. “We are launching this project in a bid to ease routine business and mobility of the public at large by resolving various issues related to traffic, pollution, time consumption, carbon emission etc,” said the LDA Chief Engineer (II) Mazhar Hussain Khan.

“The project would not only save the time but also fuel, besides protecting the public health from the injurious impact of pollution,” he added.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2023