Demo against LDA projects on 8th

LAHORE
Many civil society organisations have planned to hold a protest against the ongoing and completed infrastructure development projects launched by Punjab government recently.
A massive mobilisation campaign has already been launched by the civil society for the demonstration which will be held at Main Boulevard Gulberg outside Siddique Trade Center on March 8.
Dear all, “Lahore is too precious to lose to this irreversible degradation and destruction. We need to move towards a people-centric, environment friendly, sustainable and green Lahore. Please join us to nurture and protect the unique spirit of the city we all love. For Lahore please come to the rally,” reads an email circulated among the citizens of Lahore. It urged people to bring their friends and families and unite for Lahore that gives a better quality of life to all its citizens. Flyers and pamphlets are also distributed among the students and teaching community of various educational institutions such as LUMS, FC College Lahore and etc.
Talking to The News, Imrana Tiwana, general-secretary, Lahore Conservation Society, and convener Lahore Bachao Tehreek said the protest would be peaceful and was planned to highlight the negative impact of development projects on the city, environment and human life.
She said various organisations of civil society had criticised the completed, ongoing and future infrastructure development plans of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the Punjab government and demanded an immediate end to this activity, which is destroying the city. She said civil society termed the LDA’s infrastructure development projects disastrous. She said only 3 to 7 per cent population of city owned four wheel vehicles and all these projects will facilitate them only.
“Why the government is not thinking about the rest of the 93 per cent residents of the city who needs a better public transport system, a good healthcare and improved educational facilities,” Imrana questioned, adding the LDA has also planned to convert agricultural and semi-restricted areas around the city which are larger than the entire existing urban area of the city, as commercial and residential areas ignoring the international standard of 35 per cent green area around an urban city.
LDA is spending billions of rupees on turning main roads into signal-free corridors which is a joke with the city and majority of its population. After completing the project of turning Ferozpur Road a signal free road, the government has started to turn Jail Road a signal free artery and construction work had already started.
Imrana alleged that the LDA had acquired land for development projects under Article 17 of land acquisition law, which could only be used in case of construction of an emergency project. She said the civil society had also filed a case in a court in this regard.
Rejecting all the proposed infrastructure development projects of LDA, she said the civil society would strongly react if LDA continued to change the face of Lahore.
She said there is no transparency in the LDA’s decision and projects. Officials of Lahore Bachao Tehreek, Lahore Conservation Society and Park Bachao Tehreek are mobilising citizens for the protest.