LAHORE, Dec 6: A mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment report was not sought from the Punjab Environment Protection Agency before construction work began on the Shalimar underpass, sources in the EPA confirmed on Saturday.

The foundations and superstructure of the site are already well under construction while negotiations to relocate the affected people in the area are under way, according to Khushal Khan, a former chief traffic engineer of the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (Tepa). Traffic has been re-routed via roads that have been specifically built for the purpose and the project was given full approval by the Punjab government in contravention of the Pakistan Environment Act (1997).

Its Section 12 states: “No proponent of a project shall commence construction or operation unless he has filed with the Federal Agency an Initial Environmental Examination or, where the projects are likely to cause an adverse environmental effect, an Environmental Impact Assessment, and has obtained the Federal Agency approval.”

The official at the EPA confirmed that as of Saturday no application had yet been filed by anybody, neither Tepa nor the Communication and Works department, regarding the underpass.

Heavy traffic jams at the construction are forcing Mughalpura-bound traffic to follow some few kilometres out of their way and heavy amounts of dust are being generated at the site. District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmad Bhutta was not available for a comment.—Staff Reporter