Save Lahore Canal

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    Citizens of Lahore
  • Sponsored By:
    Members of Lahore Chitrkar
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As you may have heard, The Punjab government is planning to widen the road on both sides of the Lahore Canal, from Thokar Niaz Baig to Dharampura, as a so-called solution for the congestion on the canal road due to the rapidly increasing automobile population. The Punjab Chief Minister had announced that the project would begin immediately after Eid-ul-Azha, however, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry took suo moto notice and effectively restrained the government from commencing work on the project on 27 November 2009. The government has not fulfilled its legal obligation of carrying out an EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment)for the project and the lack of transparency of the program is depriving the citizens of Lahore from having a say in this change.

It is the consensus of a great number of organizations and groups of concerned citizens that the Rs 3.15 billion project violates basic principles of traffic design and will not only prove ineffective in countering traffic congestion, but also lead to an outstanding number of problems related to the well-being of the public and the environment. Widened roads have historically proven to only end up attracting more traffic, and the government's focus on providing for the car-owning citizen over the abounding majority (which requires public transport, sidewalks, public toilets, phones and drinking water) is entirely against the principles of equity. The project also means the cutting down of several thousand old trees and losing over 50 acres of the green belt, which is sure to lead to a staggering number of environmental problems including rising temperatures and carbon and toxic content, not to mention the loss of ancient species of trees and shrubs that provide shelter to a variety of birds and small animals. The historical, environmental, recreational and aesthetic value of this green space cannot be stressed enough.

We demand that our voice be heard to address these critical issues and help preserve the beauty and grandeur of our city.

400 Signatures

  • Asad
  • Rafia S
  • Imran H
  • Umair A
  • Salman K
  • Hassan
  • Shaheen Sultan D
    • Comments
    • In solidarity
  • Moeez H
  • RAI MUHAMMAD AZLAN S
  • Ahmad Afzal L
  • Syed Razi A
  • Ranpreet Singh B
  • Fatima R
  • Danyal R
    • Comments
    • save the canal!!
  • Raza K
  • Hadia
  • Omer K
  • Haider
  • Imran F
  • Usman J
  • Roushan M
  • Seemal S
  • farjad n
  • Shahid M
  • Aejaz Z
    • Comments
    • The 3.15 Billion should be used to improve the public transport system and encourage people to reduce their car usage.
  • Ahmad Rafay A
    • Comments
    • Do not wident the Canal road. Preserve the Canal and use it as a metaphor for the future of development of Lahore: cool, green and a place to have fun.
  • harris m
    • Comments
    • please do not do this...save the trees for our future generation so that they can also enjoy the green part of lahore.
  • Maheen P
  • Usman A
    • Comments
    • Do not cut the trees, Try to increase the effeciency of the traffic police
  • Saad Sibte S
    • Comments
    • В
  • Waleed Z
    • Comments
    • I hope we save the trees
  • Wasif
    • Comments
    • Lahore needs trees!!!!!!
  • Hanna B
  • Naeem Ahmed B
  • Joyce N
    • Comments
    • There must be another solution to deal with heavy load of traffic, THINK WISELY DO NOT OBLITERATE THE BEAUTY OF LAHORE.
  • Mahar Safdar A
    • Comments
    • I strongly condemned the policy to widen the canal roads .
  • Syeda Ghulam F
  • Rehmat Y
  • Saira
    • Comments
    • In addition to the obvious environmental reasons for a petition against the widening of the canal..wider roads will result in more lanes and hence, in unruly traffic. Lahori's switch lanes often and suddenly without indicating beforehand. Let the roads stay as they are so that the stream of traffic is regulated, slower and thus safer.
  • Yasir Hussain S
  • Amen J
  • Anjum A
    • Comments
    • "Efficient" solutions that are contrary to the wishes of citizens should be avoided and questioned. A framework for such questioning is provided in the following three posts about development in Singapore: http://thesouthasianidea.wordpress.com/2009/01/08/is-singapore-a-successful-city/ http://thesouthasianidea.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/singapore-the-voice-of-citizens/ http://thesouthasianidea.wordpress.com/2009/01/14/singapore-evidence-from-bollywood/
  • Ijaz H R
    • Comments
    • Takes time for trees to grow and give shade and beauty to reach us. Dont cut them!
  • Zahra A
  • Zubina H
    • Comments
    • STOP THIS!!
  • Rafiq K
    • Comments
    • Save the Lahore canal, this has been there for hundreds of years. Its Lahore cultural landmark. Rafiq Khadimally, UET
  • Taabeer A
  • abdullah
  • Haroon M
  • Ali Usman Q
    • Comments
    • Shahbaz Sharif, please dont act like Parvez Elahi; you can do much better than him!