LHC stays construction work on Ravi Urban Development Project

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has restrained Ravi River Urban Development Authority (RUDA) from carrying out construction work on multi-billion-rupee Ravi River Front Urban Development Project till the grant of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD).

“Since the process for the grant of EIA is under way, it is directed that no work shall be commenced at the site by RUDA until the approvals are granted by the EPD,” Justice Shahid Karim stayed the construction and ruled in an order released Saturday about the Thursday’s hearing on petitions regarding different environmental issues.

Previously, the judge had sought reports from the federal and provincial governments about the compliance of environmental regulations in the project. On Thursday, Additional Advocate General Anis Hashmi submitted the relevant record of the EIA report prepared in respect of Ravi River Front Urban Development Project. He also placed on record a letter written to the director general of the EPD on December 30, 2020 by the chairman of the RUDA requesting for information regarding legal requirements for submission of EIA report. Besides staying the Ravi River Front project, Justice Karim also directed an assistant attorney general to apprise the court regarding “Naya Pakistan Project” being constructed by an authority, set up by the federal government, of the measures taken in this regard by the authority to comply with the environmental standards.