Neela Gumbad set for Rs2.45bn transformation

LAHORE: Neela Gumbad, one of Lahore’s most traffic-congested areas, is set to undergo a complete transformation into a walk-friendly vicinity in the coming months.

Situated between King Edward Medical College, Punjab University, Anarkali Bazaar, the Bicycle Market, Tyre Market, Bank Square and other business centres, NeelaGumbad is also home to the shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Abdul Razzak Maki, built in 1673 during Emperor Aurangzeb’s reign. Recognised for its distinctive blue-tiled dome, the site originally included a mosque and garden. Over the centuries, it has undergone various changes, serving as a weapons storage facility during the Sikh period and later as a cafeteria during the British era.

Despite its cultural and historical significance, NeelaGumbad has long been neglected. Encroachments, a lack of parking space, frequent vehicle theft, and chronic traffic jams have made it one of the most troublesome spots for citizens, forcing visitors to think twice about where to park their vehicles.

To address these longstanding issues, the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) has come forward with an ambitious project to remodel the vicinity along European lines. The plan includes demolishing outer shops and constructing three underground basements—two dedicated to parking and the first to accommodate the shops being displaced.

Chief Engineer TEPA Iqrar Hussain said the project covers a 16-kanal plot and will provide parking capacity for 374 cars and 790 motorcycles. He explained that a total of 62 shops and nine houses will be demolished as part of the redevelopment. State-of-the-art facilities will be introduced, including walkways, a controlled parking management system, CCTV surveillance, public washrooms, lifts, and modern firefighting systems.

Discussing the project cost, Hussain said it would amount to Rs2.451 billion, with an 18-month completion period. “The scope of work includes earthwork and retaining piles along the periphery of the site, RCC frame structures for three underground floors, a pumping system for drainage, and a modern firefighting system comprising smoke detectors, extinguishers, alarms, and nozzle sprays. Two elevators with a capacity of 16 persons each and multiple staircases will also be constructed,” he said.

He noted that TEPA was committed to overcoming site constraints, including the safe demolition of shops and houses, replanting of 29 trees, and shifting of utility services such as electricity, gas, water, and drainage. On funding, Hussain explained that PC-1 of the project had been approved, with Rs300 million already released and the remaining funds in the process of disbursement.

Providing further details about the basements, he said the first basement would include 69 shops alongside parking space for 58 cars and 280 motorcycles. The two lower basements would each offer parking for 158 cars and 255 motorcycles. “After completion, this area will be converted into Lahore’s first walk-friendly vicinity and will emerge as a major attraction for both local citizens and foreign tourists,” he added.

Officials emphasised that the project would not only resolve the chronic parking and congestion problems of NeelaGumbad but would also restore its historical and cultural value, reviving the site as a key landmark in the heart of Lahore.