The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday stopped planting of palm trees along highways and motorways. Justice Shahid Karim passed the orders while hearing petitions, filed by Haroon Farooq and others against ineffective measures for controlling smog.
During the proceedings, the Environment Protection Department (EPD) director general appeared before the court and submitted that palm trees were ineffective barriers against pollution, adding that they did not prove successful on Islamabad motorways and highways. The court questioned the bizarre renovation of underpasses in the city, criticising the unconventional lighting that malfunctioned on the first day.
The court also stressed the urgency for water conservation and observed that there were predictions about water scarcity by 2026-2027, envisioning a future where water tankers become a common sight in Lahore. The court addressed the provincial law officer and asked what steps had been taken by the Water and Sanitation Agency for installing water meters.
To which, a member of the Judicial Water and Environment Commission stated that a one-year timeline had been given for installing water meters. The law officer apprised the court that the government would provide 10,000 electric bikes to students. Subsequently, the court stopped the EPD director general from planting palm trees along highways and motorways, besides adjourning further hearing.
