‘CDA to ensure EMP during IJP Road project’

Islamabad:Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) on Monday directed the Capital Development Authority officials to ensure implementation of proper environmental management plan (EPM) during I.J. Principal Road rehabilitation and widening project.

Addressing the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) public hearing of the I. J. Principal Road rehabilitation and widening project held here at the Pak-EPA office, Director EIA Monitoring Ahsan Rafi Kiani said the CDA officials had to provide Traffic Diversion Plan, camp office location and baseline data revived report.

He said that all this data should be shared for finalisation of the EIA Report approval. Kiani snubbed the CDA officials for missing out details pertaining to project cost, flyovers and pedestrian bridges to be built during the project.

He also rejected the CDA proposal to dump surplus material or waste generated at I-12 sector location during construction work at the project. The issue of the I-12 sector is already under consideration at EPA as a residential sector that could not be used as a dumping site, he said.

He suggested the CDA officials ensure necessary arrangements, particularly the machinery related to transplantation of 1265 trees, to be shifted from the project. Kiani added that there was a dire need to study survival rate of the plants earlier transplanted in the federal capital and availability of the machine which was earlier borrowed in the development of G-7 underpass.

He also directed the CDA officials to devise a better location and working mechanism for batching plant operation during the project implementation. While briefing on the project, the CDA official briefed that the total road length was 10.2 kilometres that would be rehabilitated and widened after adding two additional lanes on both sides of the already dual carriage way thoroughfare.

He added that the project was self-financed and will be implemented in 18 months where the PC-I cost was Rs6.9 billion and Rs120 million were allocated for environmental conservation and protection.

It was added that there would be two bridges and flyovers established under the project which would start from Faizabad and culminate at N-5. He also confirmed that I-12 site would not be used, rather the Margalla Town site to be used as a dumping site.

Referring to the matter of the Transplant machine, he said that it was available with NLC (project implementing partner of CDA) so no borrowing of equipment would take place.

He informed that two camp office sites were proposed one at Pirwadhai and other at 9th avenue for incurring minimum impact on the surroundings. During the question hour session, the CDA officials informed that there were four pedestrian bridges to be established on the I.J. Principal Road. It was told that drains were to be developed on the route that would help reduce water accumulation during the rainy season.

In lieu off 1,265 various species plants, CDA will plant 8,000 trees along the route and will plant more saplings during the operational phase, he added. Public awareness would be made for discouraging travel on I.J. Principal Road during project development through various mediums including ITP radio and banners etc, he added.