IN 2011 the Supreme Court took a landmark decision in a case initiated by the Lahore Bachao Tehreek against the Lahore Development Authority`s plan to widen the road alongside the canal, reference Books & Authors section(April 5). The judge constituted a mediation committee and issued the judgement after the parties had agreed.

Four years have passed since this historic judgement. We must question if the widening of the road has really served its purpose. Has the traffic eased off since the widening of the road? Is the noise and pollution on this road decreased? Have we asked the trees and the canal how they feel after this change? Last week I was in Lahore and drove on the widened canal road. I heard the trees and the canal in intense conversation. They were complaining about the endless traffic, blaring horns, ceaseless noise of motorcycles, rickety rickshaws and smoke-emitting wagons and buses.

They were regretting the missed opportunity of friendlier options to ease thetraffic. Why did they not consider the use of canal for transportation, they were saying? Why did they not restrict the public traffic alongthe beautifulcanaland the park alongside? They were discussing examples of rivers elsewhere in the world: the Thames, the Rhine, the Seine, the Danube and the Yangtzekiang, used for transportation for centuries. An old-Peepal tree talked of Amsterdam and its canals. A young and mischievous amaltas mentioned the romantic gondolas of Venice.

A mango tree, seemingly dating back to the days of Emperor Jahangir, asked the canal if it would be okay for it if trawlers, tugboats and small pleasure craft could sail over its waters taking hundreds of passengers? The canal nodded in approval. It said it would not miss the traffic, the smoke and the chaos thatitseeson theroad duringthe day and deep into the night.

I am filled with hope that someone important will stop his car on the canal bank, will lower the windows, will hear what I heard and take some action.

Lahore is the most beautiful city in Pakistan and one of the most beautiful in the world. It has its history; it has character and hasits traditions.

Let us not destroy it all in the name of development. Let us keep it for future generations to enjoy.

S.N.l. R aza Karachi