LAHORE: The Environment Protection Department (EPD) will forward all objections and suggestions regarding the elevated expressway project to the Lahore Development Authority within a week to get its reply regarding the project.

`During the public hearing of the project held at the Alhamra Cultural Complex, Qadhafi Stadium, on Jan 4, we received various objections, suggestions from the people of various walks of life. Similarly, there were also people who supported the project. So we will send all such an information to the LDA after finalising minutes of the hearing, EPD Director Naseemur Rehman told Dawn on Friday.

He said as soon as the LDAresponded to the EPD in writing, the department would immediately review it.

`If the EPD is satisfied with the reply, it will send the report to a committee of experts for further study which will go through the response in depth and may seek more clarification, explanation, etc. required about any point,` Mr Rehman said.

If the committee deemed the reply viable and justifiable, it would further send the case to another high level committee of the department, he added.

`This committee will take a final decision to approve the project`s environmental impact assessment (EIA) report or not, he said, adding that approving the EIA means that the LDA could start work on the project.