Lahore Division

Lahore : ReNews Pakistan Residents of several housing societies along and around Lahore’s Canal Road near Harbanspura are facing persistent traffic congestion because of a narrow road section and bridge, with the long-standing problem worsening during peak hours. The affected stretch connects several residential colonies with Canal Road and has become one of the busiest routes in the area. During school and office hours, long queues of vehicles form on both sides of the canal, causing significant delays for residents as well as motorists travelling from other parts of the city. Residents say the situation has deteriorated over the past decade despite repeated assurances by successive governments to improve the road infrastructure. Minor accidents or vehicle breakdowns can reportedly bring traffic to a complete standstill, adding to the difficulties faced by commuters. An area resident, Mian Afzal, said it could sometimes take up to half an hour just to cross the narrow bridge, while any minor incident could cause traffic to remain stuck for considerably longer. The problem is also linked to a stalled road development project. During a previous tenure, the PML-N government in Punjab had approved a plan to widen the Canal Road stretch and construct U-turns from the Dharampura Underpass to Jallo Mor. The project was intended to ease congestion and provide better connectivity to thousands of commuters. The government had also constructed the Beijing Underpass to address traffic congestion at the Chaubacha railway crossings near the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club. Canal Road was eventually widened up to the Harbanspura police station. However, following the 2018 elections and the formation of the PTI government in Punjab, the remaining project was shelved along with several other development initiatives of the previous administration. Residents say their demands have remained unresolved since then, with the Harbanspura-to-Jallo Mor section continuing to create a major bottleneck, particularly for traffic approaching from the Mall Road side. The return of the PML-N government to Punjab after the 2024 elections raised hopes that the stalled project would be revived. However, the government has cited financial constraints and said available funds are being allocated to other development priorities. Residents, meanwhile, allege that the issue reflects administrative and political neglect. Daily commuters have questioned why resources are available for road projects in more affluent areas while infrastructure problems affecting densely populated housing societies remain unresolved. The situation has also affected commercial activity along the route. Shopkeepers and small traders say customers are reluctant to stop in the area because of congestion, while delivery vehicles frequently face delays. Farhan Aziz, a local shopkeeper, said the continuing road problem was slowing commercial activity across the area. The affected residential communities include the Lahore Press Club Housing Scheme, commonly known as Sahafi Colony, Hajvery Housing Scheme and Lahore Medical and Dental College Housing Scheme. With the area's population continuing to grow, residents and civil society activists say the existing bridge and road infrastructure has exceeded its capacity. An official of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) told that a financial estimate for resolving the issue had been submitted to the relevant authorities several times. However, senior LDA officials had maintained that the project should be funded by the Punjab government. The official said the estimate would again be submitted to the appropriate forum for approval, keeping in view the difficulties faced by residents and commuters for years. Residents have urged the Punjab government to immediately revive and execute the stalled project, warning that further delay could further worsen traffic congestion, connectivity problems and commercial activity in the rapidly expanding housing communities along Canal Road.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab government has approved seven road packages under the initial phase of its Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme, marking a major move to accelerate road development and rehabilitation through private sector participation. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Public-Private Partnerships Authority chaired by Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, where officials reviewed a range of infrastructure, administrative and development initiatives being pursued under the provincial government’s PPP framework. According to the briefing presented at the meeting, the approved road packages will involve the construction and rehabilitation of roads across Punjab with private-sector participation. The initiative is aimed at mobilising private investment and improving the pace and efficiency of major infrastructure projects in the province. The meeting also approved successful bids for operations and management contracts related to the PPP projects. Under the approved arrangements, successful bidders will retain their contracts for seven years and will also share profits with the Punjab government. The provincial authorities stressed the importance of transparency and timely implementation in the execution of PPP projects. Amendments to the existing bid evaluation system were also approved to strengthen transparency and improve the process through which private sector proposals are assessed. The meeting further reviewed institutional and administrative management arrangements in Lahore and ratified decisions taken during the fourth meeting of the Public Private Partnership Authority. In another major development, approval was granted, on the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, for the launch of local vaccine production under the PPP framework. The meeting reviewed proposals for manufacturing foot and mouth disease vaccines locally, along with plans for the transformation of livestock farms and vaccine production facilities. The initiative is aimed at strengthening local production capacity and reducing dependence on externally sourced vaccines. Officials also reviewed information and communication reforms, social media initiatives and the district plan as part of broader administrative and governance measures. Speaking at the meeting, Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision of greater private-sector participation in development projects would prove to be a game changer for Punjab. She emphasised that transparency and timely implementation would remain key criteria for evaluating the performance of PPP projects. “Projects must be completed on time without compromising on quality,” she said. The approval of the seven road packages represents an important expansion of Punjab’s efforts to use public private partnerships for infrastructure development. The model is expected to enable the provincial government to leverage private sector investment and expertise while retaining oversight of projects and their implementation. With the successful bidders set to operate under seven year contracts and share profits with the government, the latest decisions also establish a longer-term framework for private sector involvement in the management of selected public infrastructure projects. The government’s emphasis on transparent bid evaluation, timely completion and quality standards is expected to remain central to the implementation of the newly approved projects as Punjab moves ahead with its broader PPP development agenda.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan The Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has intensified its environmental crackdown on commercial cooking points across the province ahead of the upcoming smog season, warning restaurants, marriage halls and other commercial food outlets that they will not be allowed to operate without effective measures to control kitchen emissions. The campaign forms a major component of the province’s pre-smog environmental strategy, with the EPA focusing on controlling emissions at their source before air quality begins to deteriorate during the smog season. The agency is particularly targeting smoke, fumes and other pollutants generated by commercial cooking activities in densely populated urban areas. According to the latest EPA figures, 1,875 commercial cooking points have been identified across Punjab, while enforcement teams have already inspected 1,363 establishments during the ongoing campaign. Action taken so far has resulted in 554 commercial cooking points being sealed, reflecting a strict approach towards businesses that have failed to comply with prescribed environmental requirements. The EPA is placing particular emphasis on the installation and effective operation of suction hood systems at commercial cooking points. These systems are intended to capture smoke, fumes and other emissions produced during cooking and prevent them from being discharged directly into the surrounding atmosphere. EPA Director General Abdullah Nayyar Sheikh has directed field formations to intensify inspections and ensure that commercial food businesses comply with the required emission-control measures. He has made it clear that restaurants, marriage halls and other establishments cannot continue operating while ignoring environmental safeguards designed to control kitchen emissions. Field officers have also been instructed to ensure effective implementation of the campaign and identify establishments that have failed to install or properly operate the required suction hood systems. The EPA leadership has stressed that the pre-smog campaign should deliver visible environmental results before the seasonal deterioration in air quality begins. Secretary Environment Protection and Climate Change Department Silwat Saeed has also directed relevant teams to accelerate implementation of environmental requirements. She stressed that controlling emissions at source is a key element of Punjab’s strategy to reduce pollution and prepare for the smog season. The scale of commercial cooking activity requiring environmental regulation is evident from district wise data. Gujranwala has the highest number of identified commercial cooking points at 500, followed by Rawalpindi with 250, Faisalabad with 135 and Multan with 120. Other identified areas include Taxila Rawalpindi with 70 commercial cooking points, Sheikhupura 66, Toba Tek Singh 62, Nankana Sahib 53, Chakwal 48, Pakpattan 47, Kasur 45 and Jhang 42. EPA spokesman Sajid Bashir said the department had adopted a zero tolerance policy towards commercial cooking points that fail to control their kitchen emissions. He said the suction hood campaign was an important part of the agency’s preparations to address air pollution before the onset of the smog season. The spokesman said field teams were conducting inspections and taking enforcement action against establishments where environmental requirements were being ignored. He emphasized that commercial establishments could not be allowed to release uncontrolled kitchen emissions into the atmosphere. According to the EPA, the objective is not merely to require businesses to install emission-control equipment but to ensure that such systems are properly installed, functional and effectively used during commercial cooking operations. The agency has indicated that inspections of restaurants, marriage halls and other commercial food establishments will continue, with enforcement action to be taken against businesses that fail to meet the prescribed environmental standards. The pre-smog strategy reflects a shift towards controlling pollution before hazardous air-quality conditions develop, rather than waiting for smog levels to rise and then responding to the resulting environmental and public-health concerns. With 1,875 commercial cooking points identified, 1,363 inspections completed and 554 establishments already sealed, the EPA has signalled that controlling emissions from commercial kitchens will remain a major environmental enforcement priority in Punjab ahead of the smog season.