Kalma Chowk Flyover: LHC allows Punjab government to continue construction

A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday withdrawing stay orders allowed the Punjab government to continue construction of Kalma Chowk flyover. The bench held that from carrying out the project, no environment damaging consequence were pointed out by the petitioner.
The bench therefore allowed continuing the construction of the flyover in the public interest. The bench, however, directed the provincial government to submit "integrated traffic plan" of the city till May 24. LHC on March 24 had restrained construction on the project on a plea that the government was carrying out the project without obtaining an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
On Monday, Ahmed Rauf, representing the government, submitted that the construction of the flyover was in public interest. He said this project was initiated to reduce the traffic congestion. He said after the construction of the flyover, 50 percent noise and air pollution would decrease which caused only due to congestion of traffic at the chowk. He said there would be 100 percent more greenery at the spot after completion of the project.
At this appellant counsel Rafay Alam submitted that there were so many other chowks where frequent traffic jams take place like Qartaba Chowk and Canal Road. He asked that is why the Punjab government was exclusively making flyover at Kalma Chowk, which was not under consideration at all? After listening to this, the court issued directions to the government to submit its plan to control the traffic congestion of the city. Lahore Conservation Society and others filed the appeal.
The petitioners had challenged the Kalma Chowk flyover project on the grounds that provisions of Pakistan Environment Protection Act (PEPA) 1997 and Procurement Rules had been violated by the authorities concerned before approving the project.