Civil society comprising lawyers and environmental activists in Lahore has praised the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to halt the construction of the government’s Ravi Riverfront project.
As per the court ruling, it was decided that the project will remain dormant until a conclusive environmental study is mediated.
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The civil society lauded the LHC on the decision via a joint statement issued on Monday that read:
“The Lahore High Court Order has ensured our rights as citizens are properly considered, and the rights of the environment respected”.
The society further stated that “a clean and healthy environment is the fundamental right of every Pakistani”.
The LHC had decided to halt the proceedings for the state-run Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) on 30 December 2020. An extensive assessment of the project’s impact on the environment has been mandated by the court until further notice.
About Ravi Riverfront Project
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2020, the project will develop an urban stretch along a 33 km strip of the River Ravi.
Described as ‘a new covenant of the government’s numerous infrastructural development programs’, the project’s unique urban strip will provide housing and economic opportunities for the residents of Lahore.
To facilitate contractors in developing the urban strip, the provincial assembly formed the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) and gave it unrestrained access to resources for swift development.
Lahore Civil Society’s Stance
The dignitaries of the civil society wrote in the joint statement that the RUDA had issued construction orders alongside Ravi’s riverbed without the consent of Punjab’s Environmental Protection Agency.
Their statement further argued that projects “likely to cause adverse environmental impact” are required to get approval, under the Punjab Environment Protection Act 1997.
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The statement further read:
“The ecosystem of the River Ravi Basin has been irreparably damaged by the construction of storage dams in India and by the untreated discharge of polluted water into it by the cities of Lahore, Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad”.
The statement also stressed that “any project along the banks of the Ravi should seek to revitalize its ecosystem”.
The civil society reportedly called for the Ravi floodplain to be declared a ‘National Park’ protected as per the rules and regulations of the provincial government.
Now the environment department and this civil society will take heavy bribes to issue environment NOC whereas environment NOC is issued to almost every housing scheme and it is very easy to get NOC from the environment dept.
But I do admit that it is was big mistake by the govt to issue construction orders without obtaining NOC from the environment department.