LHC directs PHA to restore watercourses leading to parks

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the Parks and Horticulture Authority to restore all the watercourses leading to the parks and appreciated several proposals presented by the government departments, including a suggestion to store ablution water of 91 mosques adjacent to the parks for watering plants to avoid wastage of drinking water.

Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Director Akhtar Mahmood submitted proposals emphasising to restore the water channels for Aitcheson Collage, Governor’s House, Bagh-e-Jinnah and Racecourse Park so that canal water’s access could be ensured there.

Akhtar Mahmood said water could also be saved if sprinkling system was installed in the parks, lawns and drip irrigation system for trees. He gave information about the 91 mosques adjacent to the parks in his proposal and said if the water of ablution was saved they could use if for watering the plants.

Despite using canal water for the green belts including those areas adjacent to the canal, the PHA also shared some reservations over using canal water stating if they irrigated all the areas by canal water through water boozer so numerous boozers would be required for the purpose which might also affect traffic flow. In the month of December, the canal is closed so the plantation would suffer a lot. The water lorries with the canal water could not irrigate parks.

The court was informed that there was a time when some parks had excess of water channels but later they were closed. They will be able to save 60 per cent water if watercourses are restored and sprinkling system is adopted.

Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi remarked, “Where is the government, either our government is sleeping, PHA claimed to have 263 tube-wells, there will be several tub wells in use of hosing societies, drinking water is being wasted at service stations, what is going on.” He asked, “How many watercourses we have which are in working condition?”

Meanwhile, Justice Qureshi directed the officers concerned to restore the watercourses for watering plants. Dr Umar from Environment Engineering University expressed his expertise in storing ablution water of mosque for watering plants. Justice Qureshi admired his service, asking Wasa MD Syed Zahid Aziz could we get benefit from Dr Umar’s experience?” At this, the Wasa MD said they had signed a MoU with them.

Another expert, Arshad Mehmood, revealed that a service station used 200 litre drinking water for a small vehicle while 300 litre on a big car. While in automatic car wash, around 80 liter water is used for a car wash. Recycling system should be installed at service stations.

Another expert, Muhammad Zamir, told the court that water level was going down from 2 to 3 feet every year, adding, “First the water was extracted through digging ground to 400 feet, now we have the level had gone down to 800 feet. He expressed his fear, saying 1,000 feet level was the last stage. Arif Butt, director, Wasa Hydrology, differed Zamir’s version, adding the drilling ground to extract water depended on the area’s level. He said, “We could extract water from Shahdra at 50 feet and at 150 feet from Lahore High Court premises.

However, after hearing proposals by different government departments, Justice Qureshi directed Irrigation Additional Secretary Shahid Saleem to hold a meeting with all the stakeholders like PHA, Wasa, LDA and other departments and come up by September 26 with concrete solution as how water could be saved at service stations, how plants could be watered,” and report on restoring water channels.

FIXED: DIG Operations Shehzad Akbar fixed batches of SP Model Town, Muhammad Ali Waseem and SP Civil Lines, Muhammad Afzal Khan. SP Headquarters Atif Nazir, SP Security Muhammad Naveed, SP Cantt Asif Ameen, SP City Ahsan Saif-Ullah, SP Sadar Maaz Zafar and SP Iqbal Town Syed Muhammad Ali were also present.