Ministry rises to save Zoo-Cum-Botanical Garden in Banigala

Islamabad

The Climate Change Ministry has finally risen from a deep slumber and swung into action on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to save the country’s largest Zoo-Cum-Botanical Garden in Banigala from increasing encroachment as it has now prepared the project concept (PC-I) costing Rs. 109.042 million to construct a boundary wall around this legally protected area in the federal capital, the sources told The News here on Tuesday.

The sources said the ministry woke up to the issue of encroachment only after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took serious notice of the media reports last month regarding the encroachment on the land earmarked for the purpose of construction of the country’s largest Zoo-Cum-Botanical Garden in Banigala.  

In its letter to the Prime Minister House on Monday, the Climate Change ministry stated "PC-I on construction of boundary wall of Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden has been prepared with an estimated cost of Rs. 109.042 million and has been sent to the Planning and Development Division on 19th April 2017 for its placement before the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) for construction and approval."

It said "Demarcation has been drawn, however, encroachment/illegal occupation will be removed by CDA/ICT, Islamabad on start of work on boundary wall."

The letter said "The survey team of Survey of Pakistan carried out demarcation of the boundary pillars of Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, Banigala hills, Islamabad in presence of the representatives of the Zoological Survey of Pakistan."

It stated "The survey has been completed on 12th April, 2017 and location of all boundary pillars has been identified." 

It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court has also issued directives to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Sui Northern Gas to ban electricity and gas connections to any building, which has not been sanctioned by any authority of law during the hearing of the suo moto case on a letter by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan complaining about the mushroom growth of unregulated and unplanned construction in picturesque Botanical Garden in Banigala. 

The sources said that the required funds have already been earmarked by the prime minister for construction of the boundary wall under the Rs10 billion Green Pakistan Programme launched on February 9 this year. 

They said around 100 acres of land worth over Rs. 15 billion have already been encroached that has reduced the size of the Botanical Garden whose original size according to the CDA Master Plan is 725 acres of land that fall in Revenue Estate of Mouza Atha, Mallot, Banigala, Sanjalian and Phulgran.

The sources said 160 vertical pillar-supported fence was constructed around the Botanical Garden years back but two government departments and a private housing society of a Lahore based politician managed to encroach the area from three different sides. 

The sources said the Zoological Survey of Pakistan, which is a department under the climate change ministry, and Survey of Pakistan are preparing a report to identify encroachment in the Botanical Garden in Banigala. 

"The survey report about the encroached land will also be sent to the Prime Minister House after which a joint operation by CDA and ICT will be conducted to restore illegally occupied land of the Botanical Garden," the sources said. 

When contacted, Director Zoological Survey of Pakistan Saleem Khattak told The News that they have completed their survey and prepared a map on April 12 and sent notices to number of people to vacate the encroached land in the Botanical Garden.

"Now we will launch a massive operation in coordination with CDA and ICT and remove all encroachment on the land of the Botanical Garden in Banigala," he said. 

Talking to The News, Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Syed Abu Ahmad Akif said they are waiting for the survey report to be prepared by the Survey of Pakistan and Zoological Survey of Pakistan after which operation would be launched to remove encroachment from the Botanical Garden.

"We have informed the Prime Minister House through a letter about PC-I to construct a wall around the Botanical Garden. Now we will not only restore illegally occupied land but also make arrangements to stop encroachment on permanent basis in this legally protected area," he said.