LAHORE High Court on Tuesday scrapped the much celebrated Ravi Riverfront Urban Development project of the government by declaring several provisions of the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) Act 2020 unconstitutional.
Announcing a reserved judgment on multiple petitions, Justice Shahid Karim declared the acquisition of agricultural land for the project unconstitutional and in violation of the fundamental rights of citizens.
Given its importance to release mounting pressure on Lahore, the present government had given great importance to this project.
One has seen Prime Minister Imran Khan chairing weekly meetings on the project, getting the latest updates to ensure its implementation.
Now the very judgment of the High Court has come much as a surprise for many.
In our view, before filing a review petition in the court, the authorities concerned must complete their homework and address the concerns of the land owners whose properties will be procured for the development of the project.
The population of Lahore has grown immensely because of rising rural to urban migration.
This massive influx has caused a strain on natural resources and the environment.
The city’s groundwater reserves are depleting at an annual rate of one meter.
In winters, the city is covered with smog which disrupts transports and affects the life of millions with poor air quality.
Many industrial settlements have polluted the water resources with heavy metals, municipal waste and industrial sewage.
In the backdrop of this, Ravi Riverfront project was envisaged to ensure a clean, green and secure future.
In fact the construction of lake would also rid the Ravi of domestic and industrial waste and provide 271 billion litres of water which would also reduce the reliance of people of Lahore on the groundwater by almost fifty percent.
Whilst the government should go for review, we will also pray the court to consider the government’s petition in a favourable manner given the immense significance of this project which will not only address many problems of Lahore and help secure environment but also generate immense economic activities.
