Punjab government is yet to get a fresh Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the environment authorities for the widely-opposed Canal Road widening project, The News on Sunday learnt from the concerned quarters.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif gave go ahead for the project on Nov 7, 2009. Rs. 3.15 billion has been allocated to widen the Canal Bank Road in Lahore from the Mughalpura underpass to Thokar Niaz Beg by the Punjab Government.

An official of the Communication &Works (C&W) Department told TNS that the work on the project would start after Eidul Azha (in the beginning of December). The project was in the hands of TEPA and LDA first but after the expansion it has been given to the C&W department.

The government believes the number of vehicles has double on the canal road in the last four years. According to a brief available with the department, as many as 220,000 vehicles pass through the canal road everyday.

The proposed length of the project is 14 km and the improvement plan involves construction of an additional 18-feet-wide road plus six feet wide earthen shoulders on each side. Resurfacing, development and improvement of service roads (all 18 feet wide), standardising access to/from service roads, construction of bus bays and shelters, development of green areas and plantation of trees are also included in the project.

Sajjad Hotiyana, the Punjab Secretary to the Environment department, talking to TNS, confirmed that the government has yet not approached the department for legal opinion and EIA on this canal-widening road project.

The citizens of Lahore, in a meeting arranged by the Civic Forum held last week, expressed their grave concern and fear that the government would bypass the Environment department and would start this project. The government claims this project is need of the hour as traffic on the Canal Road has doubled in the last four years, while the citizens' group and civil society are of the view that the system of public transport should be improved instead of further adding to the pollution and cutting numerous old trees. The forum strongly urged the government to fulfil the legal requirements to save the beautiful environment from damage otherwise they would resist this project at all cost.

"We are not against development but against such policies which are ruining Lahore, damaging its environment and beauty," says Imrana Tiwana, architecture and the convenor of Lahore Bachao Tehrik (Save Lahore Movement), adding, "This project will start over our dead bodies."

She says the whole developed world is opting scientific ways to improve their cities and strengthen its public transport infrastructure to cope with the menace of traffic. They urged the government to opt and develop alternative roads leading to Multan and Raiwind instead of cutting thousands of trees and damaging the beauty of the Lahore canal.

In a separate notice sent to the director general of Environment Protection Agency, Punjab, Section 12 of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act, 1997 (PEPA) and the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Review of IEE/EIA) Regulations, 2000 (the "IEE/EIA Regulations), the proponent of projects likely to cause an adverse environmental effect (and those falling in Schedule II of the PEPA (Review of IEE/EIA) Regulations) must commission an Environmental Impact Assessment of the project, submit the same to the concerned Environment Protection Agency and obtain approval of the same from the latter.

"Not withstanding the undersigned's objections to the Government of Punjab Project on the grounds that it violated the principles of sustainable development enshrined in PEPA, the said project will cause adverse environmental effect and falls into Category D(2) of Schedule II of PEPA (Review of IEE/EIA) Regulations for, inter alia, the following reasons," the notice read.

It is mentionable that, in 2006, the Traffic Engineering & Planning Agency (TEPA) of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) submitted an EIA for a project to widen Lahore's Canal Road from the Dharampura underpass to Thokar Niaz Beg (TEPA Project). The TEPA project was for an estimated Rs 700 million. Pursuant to the provisions of PEPA, the TEPA commissioned the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK) to conduct an EIA and had the same (TEPA EIA) submitted to the EPA, Punjab for approval. The EPA Punjab, granted Environmental approval to the TEPA EIA but, before the TEPA Project could commence, the said environmental approval was challenged before the Lahore High Court in Writ Petition No 6572 of 2007 titled World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan VS Government of Pakistan. Writ Petition No. 6572 of 2007 is currently pending adjudication before the Lahore High Court.

The citizens' movement has claimed that the Punjab government project and the TEPA project are two separate and distinct road-widening projects and the TEPA EIA does not and cannot cover the Punjab government because of various legal reasons. "The project proponent of the TEPA Project is the TEPA and the project proponent for the Government of Punjab Project is the Government of Punjab. The cost of the TEPA Project is Rs. 700 million whereas the cost of the Government of Punjab Project is Rs. 3.15 billion. The Government of Punjab Project envisages certain 'beautifications' and recreational facilities which are not present in the TEPA proposal and were not considered by the TEPA EIA," the notice read.

This notice has been issued under the name 'Lahore Bachao Tehrik' (LBT) which is an unregistered but umbrella organisation of NGOs, including the World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan, Institute of Architects Pakistan, the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners, WWF, Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan Environmental Lawyers Association, Lahore Conservation Society, Simorgh, Shirkatgah, Shehri, Shajar Dost, Subh-e-Nau, Lahore Chitrkar, Office of Conservation and Community Outreach, other NGOs, schools, universities, colleges, community activists, leaders and the citizens of Lahore from all segments of society.

The LBT was formed to protest the 2006 proposal put forward by the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), to widen the Canal Bank Road (the TEPA Project).

Ahmad Rafay Alam, environmentalist and lawyer, urges the government not to bypass the EIA, otherwise they would move the court. An attention notice has also been sent to Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Itikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, he says.

"In any event, the many changed circumstances in Lahore between the Environmental Approval granted in 2007 and now must be considered by a fresh EIA. For example, the existence and route of the new Lahore Ring Road must be evaluated as a possible alternative to the Canal Road widening project. Similar other grounds exist that point directly to the fact that the Government of Punjab Project will cause adverse environmental effect and must, therefore, be required to conduct an EIA," Ahmad quoted the notice.

The LBT has prayed the court to take notice of the Punjab government's attempt to run a fresh project through a previously granted EIA.

The Lahore Bachao Tehreek has written to the Punjab Chief Minister requesting him to make public the plan of the Government of Punjab Project so that its characteristics can be ascertained. We also point out that around the world, it is taken almost for granted that modern cities progress by investing in public transport, not by wasting money on road infrastructure that will be used only by a small automobile elite. We point out that, while there are over 8 million (8,000,000) people in Lahore, there are over 1.8 million (1,800,000) registered motor vehicles yet less that one thousand (1,000) buses. The Government of Punjab will betray its mandate, strike against the cause of the common man and permanently destroy one of Lahore's characteristic environmental and ecological heritage sites if it is allowed to proceed with the Government of Punjab Project without following the provisions of the PEPA and conducting an EIA.

The citizens have also urged the Punjab chief minister that they are not against development and want the canal road widening project reviewed. "To prove this, we request you for an opportunity to review the project for which you have so recently given approval. At the same time, we would like to remind you that, under the mandatory provisions of the PEPA Act, 1997, proponents of road infrastructure projects that cost in excess of Rs 50 million are required to have prepared and subsequently submitted to and approved by the EPA, Punjab, EIAs of their projects. Because the Rs. 3.15 billion (Rs. 3,150,000,000) project to widen the Canal Bank Road is not the TEPA Project for which an EIA has been approved, you are informed that the Government of Punjab will have to conduct a fresh EIA for this project," Tamkinat Kareem, an active member of the movement said.

"These are not the permanent solutions but problems," says Inayatullah, chairman of the Civic Forum.

vaqargillani@gmail.com

When the project was introduced for the first time the World Wide Fund for Nature also conducted a study. The Scientific Committee (SC) of WWF Pakistan, in 2007, conducted a rapid assessment research study for reviewing the EIA report of NESPAK by comparing the data of flora and fauna. This study also aimed at assessing the impact of road widening project on the ecology and well-being of the local residents.

The total vegetation on the Lahore Canal Bank is 21,388, which comprises 6,557 shrubs and 14,831 trees whereas the total numbers of mature trees on both the green belts are 10,128.

According to the EIA report of NESPAK only 1,850 mature trees would be cut due to this proposed road widening project whereas the research study conducted by WWF Pakistan found that 5,299 mature trees would have to be cut on 18 feet width on both sides of green belts if this project is implemented.

The project would have serious impact on the health, aesthetic and socioeconomic conditions of the local residents and vendors of the area. Commuters and passers-by will also suffer. In a survey, 95 percent of residents were against the cutting of tress, on inquiring 30 percent of them replied that there will be an ecological loss, 25 percent said loss of aesthetic beauty and 10 percent said loss of protective function.

The study revealed that small mammals such as small Indian mongoose and Indian palm squirrel, insects like centipedes, earthworms, dragonfly, damselfly, different types of butterflies such as peacock pansy and honeybees and amphibians such as Indus valley bullfrog, common frog, toads whereas in reptiles such as monitor lizards and geckos and some rare species of birds such as grey hornbill and yellow-footed green pigeon were under serious threat due to the destruction of their habitat.

The study recommended that encroachments from the road sides should be removed in order to facilitate the traffic flow. An intra city high volume bus service may also be introduced to reduce traffic load on the roads. Alternate routes need to be identified for diverting the traffic flow. TEPA should get technical assistance of experts for sustainable development for such projects.

–Waqar Gilani

The art of blending English language with vernacular is not hard to master for some people. Many a time, we don't even notice the interesting mix of languages we overhear, or perhaps speak. Here it goes: Kadon return ho rai o? Window close ker do! Take Care karain! Mein Beware ho gaya! Candles blow karo! Or outside an English medium school Beta mere hand hold karo. Or Beta apnay hath wash karo! Good ho gya!… The list goes on.

Among other things, the common man is mindful of the fact that garnishing his everyday talk with a word or a phrase in English language can make the difference he is so dying to create. No wonder he still looks 'younger' while he dexterously lits his cigarette with a 'latter'.

That shopkeeper in the distance is adept at throwing in the right word at the right time; "Foreign hai jee", he emphasises while rolling out a piece of cloth before a customer who understands that this single word will cost her at least twice its original price.

In short, English sells!

This inter-marriage of languages has its ultimate offsprings too when John Solecki easily becomes John Solangi. Or a sober-looking guy 'craps' the picture to suit the newspaper's requirement.

Besides these oversights, there are people who do not care if their English language skills have room for improvement. But this is where all humour lies.

At one level, our experience with 'Inglesh' language can be compared to our ties with our neighbouring India. It seems we can't live with it or without it. Can we improve our relations (with India) with the passage of time? Yes! Is it the same with learning the English language? Maybe! How did our once arch-enemy come out of its inhibitions to learn the language of farangi? Is it our education system that is to be blamed or is it just a part of the solution?

Go a few decades back into the twentieth century! The ever-so-daring British colonisers eventually said goodbye to the subcontinent with a heavy heart in the wake of the independence struggle. The whole episode was marked by contrasts from the very beginning. On one side of the political divide we had the Westernised Muhammad Ali Jinnah while the other side was represented by the khaddar-clad Mahatma Gandhi. Both certainly had one thing in common -- they were not averse to learning or speaking a language of the people they were so keen to send packing.

While the Quaid spoke in pure British accent, Gandhi did not sleep before saying lines from Robert Frost's poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening: "And miles to go before I sleep." Not knowing a language is understandable, but being a victim of inferiority complex for not knowing it quite another. Unfortunately, the latter is often the case with us.

*Exhibition of new works by Imran Mudassar at The Drawing Room Art Gallery till Nov 29.

*'Available Light' curated by Dr. Maureen Korp at

Alhamra, The Mall till Nov 30.

*An exhibition of works by Samina Ali and Sabina Gillani at Rohtas.

*Puppet Show at Peerus Cafe today with art session, child art, museum visit, games etc. Time: 12-5pm. New artists perform every week. There is music with lots of food.

*Sher Ki Baat: Understanding Poetry of Faiz every Wednesday from 5-6pm at Faiz Ghar. Teacher: Dr. Arifa Syeda.

*Weekend Cycle Ride today at 10:30am to start from Peerus Café, 7km Raiwind Road, Lahore. The cycling will end at 1:00pm.

cinema

Creaky environment, mostly empty rows and a few spectators with half-open eyes who slung their legs over seats in front of them. This is the situation of cinemas where Pakistani films are exhibiting. This is another sign of rapidly dying Pakistani film industry.

Who is responsible for the on-going dying process of Pakistan film industry? VCR, cable television, private entertainment channels, Indian movies, internet, lack of funds, lack of infrastructure or lack of equipment? No body has an answer to this question.

For the first time in the history of Pakistan film industry no new film will be released on Eidul Azha. The chairman of Pakistan film exhibitors association Jehanzeb Baig had announced it during last week in a press conference. He said, out of total six movies to be released on the eve of Eidul Azha, two movies were withdrawn by their producers while the rest of the four movies would not be released due to lack of finances. These films have reached completion but only due to lack of funds the producers are not in a position to release them.

Reasons for the dwindling Pakistani cinema are many but mostly fingers are pointed towards only one culprit Bollywood, which they claim has killed Pakistan film industry. In this situation once again like the practice in past few years, only Indian movies would capture Lahore's cinemas on Eidul Azha. In the recent past, almost every film released in India has simultaneously been released in Pakistan, hitting business of about Rs 20 million to Rs 50 million.

The barely breathing "Lollywood", the Lahore-based Pakistani film industry now produces less than a dozen movies in a year. It wasn't always this way. Back in the 1960s and '70s, Lahore buzzed with movie shoots, red-carpet premieres and box-office hits. The Pakistani film industry has always been based here, and though it didn't have the girth or dazzle of Bombay's Bollywood, Lollywood thrived in a country which had an identity distinct from its Indian neighbour.

In their heyday, cinemas had queues of people far beyond the box-office window and down Lahore's bustling sidewalks. Spectators arrived two hours before a show to secure tickets.

But today nearly vanished Pakistani cinema has become a victim of the VCR, cable television, Internet and finally DVD piracy. In 1985, 1,100 cinemas operated in Pakistan; today, only 120 are in business. The few directors, producers and cinema owners left today often rely on second jobs to make both ends meet.

Jahanzaib Baig, Chairman of the Pakistan Film Exhibitors Association, said that the number of local films released has dropped to nine from about 15 to 20 every year but one can not put all the blame on Bollywood, the real issue is the lack of infrastructure and skilled workforce in the Pakistani film industry. The government's unwillingness to offer a support policy to Pakistani cinema has led to its downfall. Unless quality films are produced in the country, you can't expect the local populace to go for them.

Indeed, Baig believes, Bollywood has given a boost to the exhibition business in Pakistan. "Indian films have renewed the Pakistani public's dwindling interest in going to cinema halls and because of this, some new cinemas have been built", he says. These releases have ensured at least some business for cinema houses which were at the mercy of the local low-quality productions.

When a producer or distributor can buy a Salman Khan or Shah Rukh movie for about Rs Rs 7 million to Rs 10 million, why would he want to invest Rs 20 million in making a Pakistani film which may not have any takers? He asks.

Baig says most Bollywood films are bought for between Rs 5 million and Rs 10 million and go on to do business of millions of rupees, which is good enough for Pakistani distributors who cannot even collect a few hundred thousands of rupees from a Pakistani film.

However, fear of complete destruction of the industry has angered some film and television professionals in Pakistan who are now opposing the release of Bollywood films and growing Bollywood content on television channels. There is a lot of pressure to restrict the number of Bollywood releases in Pakistan as it is affecting the film industry, he said. Now there is ambiguity if all Bollywood films will get a chance to be released in Pakistan or not.

Reviving the industry necessitates junking what's left of Pakistani cinema and starting from scratch, says Jahanzaib Baig, who has been lobbying the government to clamp down on DVD piracy, a scourge that keeps Pakistanis from leaving their living rooms for cinemas. "We have hit rock bottom," says Baig. "We can only go up. Whatever we had before is not only destroyed but is obsolete in terms of technology and skills. So we're setting the foundation for a new film industry in Pakistan."

Jamshed Zafar, Chairman Pakistan Film Producer Association says, "In India, they spend more than US $12 million on a movie and we can spend maybe about US $120,000". "How can we compete?"

He says only one director of the industry, Syed Noor is still making movies. He has established a film school in Lahore to help a new generation of filmmakers but most directors and producers gave up long ago.

Sangeeta, a Lollywood mega-star during the 1970s and one of the few survivors still directing homegrown films, says a revival of the industry can happen only if the government lends a hand. We need new cameras, new studios. Right now, producers aren't investing because the equipment isn't good, she says while adding that the cameras are clunky 1980s camcorders. There are no trailers, no craft service, no security to keep Pakistani passers-by from wandering onto the set.

She says back in the 1970s, our movie industry was in full bloom. The advent of cable television and VCRs drew Pakistanis away from cinemas but it was poverty that sped the industry's demise. Now no one wants to invest in this industry, Sangeeta says. Many cinemas were shut down, the rest were heavily taxed. New laws that required producers to have college degrees thinned the ranks of movie makers.

As Lollywood's top-shelf creative talent dropped out of the flagging industry, scripts got worse and Pakistanis stopped going to the movies. Consequently, Bollywood filled the void; Indian movies flooded video stores and clogged the cable channels. As a result Pakistani filmmakers who had stayed in the industry found themselves hamstrung by the dwindling budgets. So long Lollywood!

Email: snawaaz@gmail.com

Living in a 'walled city'

Besides playing havoc with the lives and property, the terrorists have somehow also affected and defaced the beautiful landscape of Lahore. Suicide hits, blasts and the gory coverage these incidents get on TV channels have overshadowed people's aesthetic sense, replacing it with a phobophobia in a society that now warrants nothing but security. Rising fears have raised concrete walls all around. Walls around parks, lush green lawns and sprawling community clubs in Lahore not only obstruct soothing visions, but also remind one of being unsafe if one is outside these walls.

Saeed Ahmed, a trader living in the cantonment area, complains that the picaresque environment around his locality has turned out to be a city of walls. "It was always a good feeling to drive by lush green lawns of the Rangers Headquarters and Garrison Golf Club that offered a beautiful view with tall tress and colourful flower beds. Concrete walls, long and high walls are all that your eyes meet now, depriving you of a cool and soothing effect that vegetation is meant for."

"Bombs may not kill us but these walls will surely do," cries Arsalan Ahmed, a student who seems fed up with numerous barricades and high walls around his college campus. "We feel as if we are entering the fortified US embassy when we enter our campus. I don't know about the blast but the guards, barricades and fences around my college do scare me," he laments.

Driven by security concerns, authorities have erected a wall around the Gymkhana Club, and still raising walls along The Mall. Following the pattern mandated for schools, government and private offices are also raising walls around their premises on their own.

"We can't do anything to stop these mushrooming walls as there is no law that can prevent raising of walls on private property," the Director General of Parks and Horticulture Authority, Raheal Siddiqi tells TNS. "It's a big loss to the city. These walls have damaged the soft look of a city that boasts of its cosmic and scenic character," he laments. He, however, sounds very resolute when he says the authority would not allow walls or other concrete structure on public property. If a law, at all, can stop the city from getting uglier, then one hopes some rules and regulations are framed in time before the whole city is walled.

Instead of erecting concrete walls, the use of iron grills can, to some extent, minimise the damage as it would at least counter claustrophobia, a disorder that most of the thickly populated urbanites face. People pay for these walls financially as well as psychologically and aesthetically.