Rs650m Royal Trail project of Walled City completed

LAHORE: The project of Royal Trail package-2 (Chowk Purani Kotwali to Masti Gate opposite Akbari Gate of Lahore Fort) has been completed by Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) with a cost of Rs650 million.

WCLA officials said the major interventions in this project were façade improvement and infrastructure development of the area for providing better living standards to the residents of the walled city and to restore the area to its original glory.

The area of this patch is 0.16 km2, population is almost thirty thousand, number of properties is 600 and total streets and road length is 3.75 km, they said, adding important monuments like Mariam Zamani Mosque, Janam Asthan Guru Arjun Ram, Samadhi Bhai Mani Singh and Old Temple are on this patch of the royal trail.

The restoration of route was taken up in two parts, first was Delhi Gate to Kotwali Chowk and second was Kotwali to Masti Gate opposite Akbari Gate of Lahore Fort through Chowk Chunna Mandi and Moti Bazaar. The entire royal trail, which is about 1.6 km, from Delhi Gate to Masti Gate is now completed. The package -1 (Delhi Gate to Chowk Kotwali) was completed in 2015 and same interventions were made there.

All the transformers and hanging wires have been taken underground. Almost 37 transformers and 73 poles from this patch have been removed as it was done in package -1, said Tanya Qureshi, a WCLA official. She maintained that separate sites for 23 new transformers were acquired and new transformers have been placed there.

Almost 2,267 electrical meters and 907 water meters have been installed, Tanya revealed, adding all storm and sewerage pipes have been re-laid and the open drainage has been covered.

She said the tile flooring has been laid down in the entire area to give it an antique look. Old shutters of the shops have been replaced with new ones to give the bazaars a neat look with similar shutters having same colours and sizes, she added.

Director General, WCLA, Kamran Lashari said it was a difficult task to work in the commercial area and narrow streets and most of the works were carried out in the night. “No disturbance was created for the residents or traders of the walled city during the restoration works,” he maintained, adding guided tour of Royal Trail will be extending up to Masti Gate now showing all the important monuments to the tourists. The next restoration work will be starting on the area near Sunehri Masjid, he concluded.