LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) claims that the construction of eight points/spots at the Jail Road and Main Boulevard (Gulberg) signalfree corridor will add more green areas right from Liberty Roundabout to Qartaba intersection.

According to a report shared by LDA`s senior officials with the participants at a recent public hearing on Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), the LDA has pointed out four points/spots each at Jail Road and Gulberg`s main boulevard where it plans to construct signal-free corridors to ease the public mobility.At Jail Road (Section-1: Qartaba Chowk to Eden Centre), the existing greenbelts cover an area of 5.33 kanal.

Here an additional area/land measuring 5.84 kanal has been identified and planned to be added to the existing one.

At this section, four trees will be cut and 130 new ones are planned to be planted.

At section-2 (Eden Centre to Shadman Chowk), the greenbelts exist on land/ area measuring 3.86 kanal, whereas an additional identihed area of 2.65 kanal has been planned to be added to the existing one. No tree will be required to be cut here rather 90 more trees will be planted, the report mentions.

Section-3 (Shadman Chowk to Canal intersection) currently has a greenbelt/areas measuring 20.42 kanal. Here an additional area of 1.23 kanal will be added to the existing green areas. As many as 27 trees will be uprooted and 170 new ones planted.

At Canal to Fawara Chowk (Section-4), the existing greenbelts cover an area of 15.41 kanal, whereas an additional land of 8.56 kanal will be provided.

At Gulberg`s main boulevard (Section-5: Fawara Chowk to Main Market crossing/intersection), the existing green area consists of 35.77 kanal.

Here an area of over six marla (0.61 kanal) is planned to be added. Around 61 trees will be cut and 175 planted.

Thesection-6isfromMainMarketcrossing to Liberty Roundabout, where thegreenbelts exist over 58.06 kanal. At this section, an area of 2.26 kanal is planne d to be added to the existing one. Some 65 trees will be cut and 275 new will be added.

Discussing Racecourse Road, the report mentions Shadman Chowk to Shadman Market (section-7) has greenbelts measuring 4.68 kanal. Here over four marla will be added to the existing green areas, whereas the section will have plantation of 30 new trees against cutting of 11.

The section-8 (Shadman Chowk to GOR Chowk) has greenbelt at 16.45 kanal, while it will have about 6.8 marla more. Here 27 trees are planned to be cut with replacement of 130 new trees.

LDA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed claimed that the project would surelyadd more green areas. `We have identified more land to be included in the existing greenbelt/areas. As many as 1,300 new trees will be planted after elimination of just 196,` he said.

While commenting on the report, Lahore Conservation Society Information Secretary Dr Ajaz Anwar said it`s just an eyewash. `The LDA claims to add greenery to the area by launching this project which seems baseless,` he said.

The fact is that various infrastructurerelated projects had led to reduction of green areas in the past. He said the civil society was not against development but it desired that public money was spent on health and education first.