LAHORE: An official from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has asked the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to engage residents in the areas where new projects have been initiated.
He made the request during the public hearing which was organized to assess the environmental impact of the mega project ‘Rehabilitation of the Bund Road’, which will run from Babu Sabu Interchange to Ring Road and the Gulshan Ravi T-Junction underpass.
During a public hearing organized by the EPD, the official suggested that the LDA should have made arrangements for the residents of areas such as Babu Sabu, Shera Kot, Shaheenabad, Talat Park, and Gulshan-i-Ravi to participate in the hearing or, if not possible, arrange for a nearby venue.
However, the environmental consultant representing the LDA dismissed this notion and said that the LDA was only obligated by law to advertise the public hearing through notices in newspapers.
At the hearing, LDA officials presented the project and its objectives, benefits, and goals.
The LDA Chief Engineer explained that the project was launched to improve the daily lives of the public by addressing traffic, pollution, time consumption, and carbon emissions.
He further stated that the project would save time and fuel, as well as protect public health from the harmful effects of pollution.
