LAHORE, May 25: The greenbelts on both sides of the canal will be squeezed by 18 feet each to give way to the road-widening project meant to facilitate motorists in moving at a faster pace, but certainly at the cost of environment.

Official sources say the 18-foot more stretch of greenbelts on each side of the canal will be added to the existing road, making it a five-lane avenue on both sides.

The cost of the project to be carried out from the Dharampura underpass to Thokar Niaz Beg had earlier been estimated at Rs500 million, but now it has been increased to Rs700 million, add the officials.

They say the traffic will not be blocked on either side of the canal while adding three more lanes to the existing roads.

According to official statistics, a total of 1,837 trees of various species will be chopped for development being undertaken to smoothen the ever-increasing vehicular traffic on this patch of the city artery serving almost all posh, both new and old, housing schemes.

Of the victims of development, 914 trees have a girth from 3.5 feet up to 18 feet, while 923 plants have a diameter up to one foot.

There are 28 each jaman and fancy trees, 26 shareen, 24 mango, 18 kikar, eight neem, seven bottlebrush, five pepal, two bohn, one monsuri and 11 others. —Staff Reporter