LAHORE: As the feasibility study for the proposed Lahore Yellow Line Project is underway these days, the current alignment of the route is being reviewed to reduce chopping the number of the trees along the canal`s 24km long stretch from Thokar Niaz Baig (Jinnah Bus Terminal) to Harbanspura.

On the other hand, the civil society has decided to intensify its move to halt the project, amid cutting of around 1,400 grown trees on the canal by holding protests, starting in the next few days, Dawn has learnt.

`The alignment of the project, under which the track that was earlier being planned to develop along the shoulders of the canal by removing the existingfencing (Janglas) is being considered to be changed at the moment. In this way, a huge number of trees` cutting can be avoided surely,` a senior official of the Punjab Transport Department explained while speaking to Dawn on Saturday/ `Hopefully, the amended route will soon be approved by the government,` he added.

Talking about the amendment to the current route, he said the engineering experts had suggested taking some parts/land of the underpasses on the route and saving many precious old-age trees. Previously, the routine involved felling of mature trees due to passing of the line on both banks of the canal and consuming a very small area of the existing roads.

To a question, he said the mode of transport at yellow line was yet to be decided, as the tram/train shown in the media was, in fact, showcased at an international exhibition at Lahore Expo Centre recently and not for the yellow line project. Replying to another question,he saidthetrack ofthetrainhadnot been finalised to date.

`Whether it would be of rail, road, rub-ber etc, the feasibility report would suggest us the best among them in the near future.

About the reason for the delay in the launch of the blue and purple lines-the planned projects aiming at reducing congestion throughout the city, he said: `The purple and blue lines require a massive land acquisition worth hundreds of billions of rupees. But the yellow line is the only project that requires no money for land acquisition.

The officer added that though the project`s civil work was said to be assigned and completed by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), the government had to take a final decision in this regard.

`I would tell you once I see the LDA`s name as executing agency of the yellow line`s civil work in papers,` he said and informed that the public hearing of the project would be organised after feasibility study and preparation of the PC-1 of the project.

It is pertinent to mention here that the large-scale digital mapping of urban green cover has recently been completed in Lahore, making the 24km-long stretch of Lahore`s Canal Road the largest urbangreen corridor. The geotagging survey of the Canal Road has been completed by the National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) in the wake of the orders of the Lahore High Court.

On the other hand, the civil society of Lahore has decided to resist the project by holding protests on the roads.

`We have a plan to hold massive protests on the Canal Road and PU campus underpass as well as the Lahore Press Club in the next couple of days against the controversial yellow line project,` Dr Ajaz Anwar of Lahore Conservation Society, an artist and civil society activist, told Dawn.

When contacted, a senior LDA official confirmed a change to the existing alignment of the project, saying it would save many old trees.

`Under the newly proposed alignment, the number of cutting trees would bring down to almost half of the total 1,400 trees proposed earlier. And I think it is the best for the project,` he explained. While requesting anonymity, he confirmed the development regarding execution of the project to the extent of civil work by the LDA.