Darakhat Bachao, Lahore Bachao

Mantolives: You are too kind.

Kulharee: No, not turbo-charged (I`m far too eco-friendly). How about solar-powered?

Please read comments No:

4 & 5: Both have this notion that ``trees are renewable.`` But planting trees to replace fallen ones is silly. A sapling takes years to take root, and many more to grow. A grown tree is a living eco system. Where were the birds, animals and insects go? I need not get into the rather obvious argument about the importance of trees as a means of preserving heritage and beauty.

Which brings me to comment No:

6: The widen-the-road-but-save-the-fruitwallas. This is indicative of a lack of knowledge of how things work in our little Islamic Republic. The fruit wallahs and bus stands temporarily restrict the Canal Road, causing bottlenecks and subsequent delays. The Canal widening project hasn`t even considered making bus bays or moving the fruitwallas to designated market places. It is responsibility of the Town Nazims to prevent encroachments, and they have the power to provide innovate alternative solutions. They could designate the green belts as fruit markets. But no. Let`s not have innovate alternatives. Let`s have a Rs. 700 million road.

7: The lets-castrate-Shaukat-Aziz-and-prohibit-car-leasing (pretty well dealt with, in my opinion, by post No. 8). I`m eco friendly, not anti-free trade. If you have the money to lease a car, lease a car. Other places with higher car-to-person ratios than Pakistan haven`t banned the purchase of cars: They`ve regulated car usage with innovate traffic management ideas.

But by post 10, things begin to look up. Until post 18 (sorry Mantolives, but if you want those overpasses, you`ll have to pay for them yourself).

I was wondering where some of the old chowk hands were. The ones that kept me on my toes. None to be seen. Ergo, poor debate.

But then I took slight at your taking slight and, well, had a better look at some of the other posts.

And

19: I can conceed some merit to the argument with respect to the number of lanes actually using the underpasses. I can`t say the same for the veiled I-live-in-NYC (but am still Lahori)-where-there-are-no-trees-so-you-should-be-thankful-for the-tree-you-do-have argument. I don`t want development in Lahore to be like development in New York, Paris or London. I want Lahore to look like Lahore. With its trees.

You clearly mention (post 29) that, to you, Lahore is the people who live in it. That`s well for someone who doesn`t live in a city being murdered by town planners and elected representatives. Please spare a thought for those who think Lahore is more than the people who live in it. It`s my home. To me Lahore is also its historic buildings, roads and (yes) trees. Felling a tree is as great a loss of my Lahore as would be (khuda na karey, but for arguments sake) the loss of one of the people you identify the city with.

And for you eucalyptus haters out there: The euclyptus is not evil. It`s a tree. While it does consume water, please take a moment to think about the type of water the eucalyptus on the Canal consumes: it`s sewer water. So even if the eucalyptus soaks up water, it`s soaking up water which no-one else needs, leave alone drinks. And before you say ``But what about water for irrigation?`` let me say: 1) the Canal feeds into the Balloki canal, which itself is a large irrigation canal; and 2) the eucalyptus doesn`t ``steal`` this water that it consumes: It`s a huge reverse photosynthesizer which transforms that H20 into clean air. So whatever the eucalyptus is taking away in terms of water, it is replacing in terms of clean air.

Re: # 46

Dear Ahmed, Your passion for Lahore is beyond question and argument but your argument is not beyond debate. Whatever the outcome, I am positive (not that it matters) will be a good and an innovative one. I believe that public works should be vigorously debated and discussed (like I believe is the case here) and sentimental issues should take a back seat. My grandpa owned a house in Shaho di GaRee at the time of partition that is now an ice cream factory. The sad fact is that the landscape changes. I remember the days when Tongas were allowed on the Mall. But hey, I am still not as old as Teshah Sahib. Every generation has a memory of Lahore. Let the new ones make their own. If you read Lahore by Pran Neville you wouldn’t know what city he is talking about.

I am so very happy to see Passionate Lahoris such as you. Doesn’t meant that I agree with you.

Congratulations!! but this is just a biggining of the war,.... a war to save Pakistan from internal enemies.

We have no threat from India, as we don`t want to live with them and they cannot impose any thing on us, but we do have threat from enemies within, who are present in every assembly and every office and who will give billions of rupees `irreversible` damage to Pakistan for their personal gains of few thousand rupees.

How come ``hazar service`` working government employees and soldiers became contractors, developers etc...what is the concept of conflict of interest.

Cantt Executive officer of Abbottabad had a phoney kind of construction company in his pocket and he made an offer to the church`s president to build shops around the lush green lawns of Saint Luke`s church and he also wanted to build a play land in the lady garden through that personal phoney company.

When confronted, he blamed soldiers by saying that if they don`t get plots in DHAs, worth crores(millions) of rupees then they would never had joined Armed forces.

According to him if soldiers could grab power in Pakistan, then the same yard stick allowed him to ``develop`` parks of cantonments like Abbottabad through his personal phoney construction company.

It was shocking to know that the company which has been trying to grab and ``develop`` doongi grounds of Lahore is operated by a ``hazar service`` serving deputy secretary of the Punjab government.

This is what daily Dawn reported on July 05, 2006.

Our Correspondent

LAHORE, July 4: A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday allowed PPP leader Syed Iqbal Haider and journalists Ardshir Cowasjee and Ayaz Amir to be impleaded as party to a writ petition challenging the Punjab government’s project of building a high-rise shopping arcade and a modern cinema complex at Doongi ground on the M. M. Alam Road, Gulberg II, by a public sector undertaking, the Punjab Entertainment Company.

The Punjab government has submitted its parawise comment in the hearing of two intra-court appeals and as many writ petitions which will now be taken up on Thursday along with an objection petition which the full bench allowed to be filed on the plea of the petitioner’s counsel Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Mohammad Azhar.

Also the secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and a practicing lawyer, Syed Iqbal Haider, and the two senior columnists moved the LHC with the plea that they be allowed to be added to the list of the petitioners in the writ petition filed by a Karachi-based NGO,— Shehri-CBE (Citizens for Better Environment) -– and certain residents of Gulberg.

Comprising Justice Syed Sakhi Husain Bokhari, Justice Mohammad Bilal Khan and Justice Fazale Miran Chauhan, the bench is seized with two intra-court appeals, submitted by the Punjab government and the Punjab Entertainment Company, and as many writ petitions which challenged the vires of establishing a commercial venture in the public sector and the transparency in transferring land and public money to the company.

The court granted the petitioner counsel’s request of hearing his pleas that Justice Mohammad Sayeed Akhtar, who granted stay against the project, should have been included on the bench and one of its members, who vacated the stay after expressing a certain opinion in the case, should not have been part of the bench. Syed Mansoor Ali Shah submitted that the petitioners moved the pleas but were returned by the registrar office declaring them non-maintainable. He submitted that it was the court and not the registrar to decide if a petition was maintainable or not.

The LHC full bench also deferred till the next date of hearing an application of the Punjab Entertainment Company that it be allowed to complete the construction of the structure because they feared an irreparable loss in the rainy season.

The secretary of the company, who is also a deputy secretary in the information, sports and youth division, had stated earlier in the case that the cost of the cinema complex alone was around Rs230 million.

He stated that the company had, under a contract, agreed to pay about $3 million to the Canadian firm for installing its IMAX Theatre and also for transferring technology. The contract amount, according to the secretary, was to be paid in four installments of $756,260 each every three months.

On a court question, the secretary submitted that the site plan of the project was yet to be approved by the LDA. The company, he submitted, was yet to acquire the services of an architect to develop a site plan.

He also stated in reply to another court question that the company had also not invited tenders to carry out work on the project. He submitted that the construction of the shopping arcade was the responsibility of the Punjab PWD which was thinking in terms of floating bids. To another question, he submitted that the price of the ticket for the IMAX theatre was to be very high because a similar theatre in Karachi was charging about Rs500.

The petitions called into question the transfer of the land of Doongi ground from the LDA to the PHA and then to the Punjab Entertainment Company submitting that the whole process was flawed and was done in flagrant violation of the law. The transfer was ordered by the chief minister, who was not legally competent to issue such orders.

The petition also challenged the legality of the Punjab Entertainment Company, saying it was a public sector company set up for commercial purposes which the 1973 Constitution did not envisage. It submitted that the Constitution provided that the federal and provincial governments could launch public welfare projects and could not enter in the commercial or trading ventures for profit as a public sector undertaking. He submitted that billions of rupees of the public exchequer were involved in the project and the company had already spent millions only on digging the ground. The money was officially released to the company in violation of the law, the petition added.

Rafay...

It seems like government has accepted your point of view...

Congratulations on a well deserved victory.


Kulharee pai,

Rafay is one of the most educated and effective lawyers in Lahore... I can tell you, he is not the sort to back away from an effective debate.

Re: # 43

Manto yaar, that’s all fine. Congratulations to Rafay-Alam Sahib for being the super duper turbo charged legal eagle of Lahore. That is a good thing. I only took a little slight to his holier than thou manner when he referred to this debate as “poor” quality. May be I misunderstood what he meant to say. I am sorry for that. So you must be very happy with the outcome, now you can hug all the trees you want.

e-mail me your contact # at Kulhareeatyahoo... I will be in Lahore only for 4 or 5 days, but I hope to squeeze a cup of coffee with you at some place.

Worst part of Pakistanis and Indians is that they discourage each other due to their own insecurities and low self esteems.

Pakistan full of trees, public parks, green belts fell in the laps of those who never planted any tree with their own hands and who don`t know how to make a sapling survive or grow succesfully in busy urban settings.

The question is not about if we need to cut euclaptus trees and to replace them with some other species, real issue is to stop selfish commission/bribe ``developers`` mafia from encroaching upon a green belt of the heart of Pakistan known as Lahore.

Hell with the cars and ugly faces of SELFISH developers in the sizzling months of june and july, and when population of Lahore will become double in next few decades then we will expand roads further and eventually no green belt will be left at all in Pakistan.

Usually, I don`t comment on the interaction board. But after over a year`s absence from Chowk, I`m surprised at the very poor quality of debate.

IT`S NOT ABOUT THE TREES!!! IT`S ABOUT LAHORE.

If people reach the stage where they feel no problem in cutting down trees in the name of development, it is death for urban planning.

If you widen the Canal Road to cater to an expanding Lahore, you`re just putting residential traffic on the Industrial Raiwind Road (I need not argue about catering for the Motorway, as they are alternate routes).

I can`t believe some people can actually complain about the traffic on the Canal when there are roads in North Lahore which are clogged for hours on end. And instead of dealing with the high denisity commericial and industrial traffic which causes jams in North Lahore (by moving industry out of the city), people just want to be able to get to the Royal Palm five minutes quicker.

The only reason why the Canal Road will not be widened in the middle term is because three questions into why the road is widened where it is leads to the irresistable conclusion that property interests in South West Lahore are bent on getting customers to their housing schemes some 10 minutes earlier. And it`ll be scandal to reveal those names.

The very idea of widening the Canal is rooted in sleaze and corruption. And we must all be on guard against falling for temporary pleasures (like getting to dinner 10 minutes earlier) when the cost of our conveniance is bad governance.

Rafay Alam

Re: # 39

Alam Sahib, if people don’t tend to agree with your ideas, doesn’t make the debate poor.

You changed your thesis at least 57 times in this article. First it was about the environment, then the underground water levels, then about the trees, then not about the trees, then about the property interests, then about Lahore, then about trees sucking too much or too little water, then about everyone sucks but me, then this and then that (and the co2 level). First go and take a dip in the canal, make your mind up once for all and come back for a debate that is not of “poor” quality.

The problem is that people make their minds up about something, and then go around looking for justifications, that’s exactly what you have done with this rotten essay of yours. The you come back and have the guts to say that the debate is of poor quality. Talk about Arrogance. I can almost think of what to do with the chopped tree trunks.

Re: # 40

Worst part of Pakistanis and Indians is that they discourage each other due to their own insecurities and low self esteems.

Pakistan full of trees, public parks, green belts fell in the laps of those who never planted any tree with their own hands and who don`t know how to make a sapling survive or grow succesfully in busy urban settings.

The question is not about if we need to cut euclaptus trees and to replace them with some other species, real issue is to stop selfish commission/bribe ``developers`` mafia from encroaching upon a green belt of the heart of Pakistan known as Lahore.

Hell with the cars and ugly faces of SELFISH developers in the sizzling months of june and july, and when population of Lahore will become double in next few decades then we will expand roads further and eventually no green belt will be left at all in Pakistan.

Rozaiba and Kulharee...

I drive in rush hour traffic 8:30 to 9:30 -from Model Town to High Court- and I made a point to note down the times I`ve been stuck... Over the past one week... I`ve been stuck in a traffic thrice for 3 minutes at most.

I am sorry - I just can`t justify a spending of 700 million on something like this. Ring Road, better public transport system, and flyovers (not all of them will end up cutting trees) is what we want. Already the Canal Road is a 3 lane High Way... I don`t get it frankly.

Dear Ahmed Rafay Alam and other nature lovers

I believe that you people have started the most important war, and that is the war to save Pakistan from internal termites and so called care takers.
You must continue this struggle and noble mission and please call it as `` darkht Bachao, Pakistan Bachao`` tehreek or movement.

From Chitral, Gilgit to Karachi every tree, every free lying green space and park is under attack by these vultures.
Places like Gilgit, Chitral Abbottabad are easy loots, as there are no groups or powerful resistors like we have in Lahore and Karachi.

Please try to recognise true hands behind such projects, who are the main players behind the acenes.

Most of our ministers or rulers can`t even write a correct sentence or paragraph in English, can they read or understand complex government rules or regulations..?? no way ..then who are the main players behind the scenes??

Main players are corrupt government Engineers and secretaries who are desperate and dying for their upto 50 percent of commission or bribe from such projects.
They are the one who prepare projects, reports and budgets and our weak politicians put their thumb impressions on such reports in order to save their faces.

It is true that some of the members of assemblies and their family members are government contractors, but corrupt government officers of C&W , TMA , TEPA ,MES, PEPA etc. etc. are the main players of this great scheme of organised and ``legal`` lootings and tree butcherings all over the Pakistan.

These experts of government, take advantage of the political instability and uncertainty of the country and they work like a mafia, who is expert in consuming and digesting budget of billions before next june the 30th.

We do have honest Engineers and bureaucrats as well and they must work together to expose and fight against internal traitors and enemies of Pakistan.
We couldn`t even imagine that any tree on the canal road of Lahore or the mall roads of Rawalpindi or Lahore will even be touched by some evil spirit.

When there are two lane underpasses on the canal road then three or four lanes will for sure create more blockage and chaos but expert looters would have left the scene by then, after pocketing their commissions and bribes.

Despite traffic problems, no where in the world we have noticed government Engineers to encroach upon green belts and destroy trees and habitats of poor humans and birds etc.
I request all readers to read following articles about the slow death of the most beautiful hill station of the subcontinent , which is known as Abbottabad and extend help to places like Chitral, Gilgit and Abbottabad as well.

Emergency help needed for Vanishing Architectural Heritage and greenery of Abbottabad, Pakistan

Situated at the foothills of Himalayas world famous hill station Abbottabad is 110 KMs north of Islamabad and Located at the height of 4100 feet above sea level.

Abbottabad came into being in 1853 AD, as a summer resort and training camp for the Northern command of Army.

It was named after the founder and the first deputy commissioner, Major James Abbott.
Abbottabad is nestled in lush green rolling hills and amidst scorching heat of plains, it offered crisp and cool mountain air along with the views of thickly forested mountains. and snow clad peaks of Northern Pakistan.

Unique combination of average 250 sunny days a year, 4100 feet altitude, latitude, proper rainfall and extremely fertile soil conditions made it possible to grow trees and shrubs of European and Himalayan origin and some species of trees and flowers were brought from Kashmir also.

During British rule, highly trained and competent people developed gardens and green belts of Abbottabad and local craftsmen built this town and touched heights of architectural refinement and skillfulness.

Beautifully grained local stone was used aesthetically in the construction of environmentally friendly buildings and hammer dressed stones were used even in the roadside drains.

Abbottabad had avenues and groves, which contained magnificent trees of Horse chestnuts, Himalayan and Lebanese cedars, Pines, Chinars (maple), Fragrant Camphor, Elm, Ash, Mahogany, Walnut and various other species of trees and shrubs of Alpine nature.

Breath taking scenery, fragrant breeze,beautifully blended stone buildings, majestic trees, shrubs and flowers from all over the world gave birth to a glory which became famous all over the world by the name of Abbottabad.

In the past,cantonment administration and Pakistan Army managed to conserve green areas, but now grabbing of green belts and public places, unplanned expansions and haphazard concrete constructions have seriously damaged the heritage of this unmatchable town.

Most of the mature trees and shrubs disappeared permanently and various species of wild birds are becoming homeless as green belts and trees of Abbottabad are disappearing very fast.
There is a lack of commitment at the national level and environmental and heritage preservation laws are not being up-dated or implemented properly.
Moreover cantonment and municipal by-laws are either ignored or violated and constructions are being allowed even on the pine-covered hills, green belts and natural drainage areas.
Year of 1976 AD was the last time when cantonment and municipal bye-laws were published,up-dated or made available for the general public.
As it is visible in the attached 2005 overview of Abbottabad that urban sprawl has reached beyond the capacity of this small town and very few old mature trees and green belts are left in the town.
If present conditions prevail, then in coming years, uncontrolled flood of buildings will eat away remaining trees of the town and surrounding hills.
Unfortunately during the last decade, in collusion with the government officials,unskilled and especially corrupt contractors have ransacked heritage buildings, gardens and green belts of Abbottabad.
Three quarters of the legally demarcated company bagh or municipal garden has been grabbed and ``developed`` with sub standard concrete and plans are being made to develop remaining portions also.
Centuries old lay out and land scape of lady garden ( cantonment park) and surrounding areas have been destroyed, and sub standard cemented walls have replaced ever green hedges, pavilions demolished, stone masonry and antique iron gates with climbing roses disappeared...

Heavy constructions and pouring of concrete around mature exotic trees have put them under great stress and die back process of the leftovers of centuries old trees has already been started.

In Abbottabad we are also losing our environmentally friendly antique buildings at an alarming rate.
We are afraid that if we fail to take immediate action, then we are going to lose remaining traces of the antiquity and originality of the town.
Due to un-planned slums and destruction of old trees, once very green and clean Abbottabad is now at the verge of environmental catastrophe.
Fresh water and fish filled neighboring streams of Abbottabad are now filled with human waste and plastic shopping bags.

Government departments are working in a way that there is no concept of preserving old trees and heritage buildings.
These departments get huge developmental money, and in order to spend that money, some old historical buildings have to be demolished every year.

During reconstruction process, unskilled contractors build sub standard ugly buildings and chop down mature old trees ruthlessly; they also fail to plant new trees.
Masterpieces of stone masonry and solidly built historical and architectural heritage have been lost along with massive trees of fragrant camphor,Lebanese Cedars, pines, Chestnuts, Oaks, Mahogany and maples etc.

It has been observed that some long term contractors cum developers have their eyes on every free lying open green space of Abbottabad, and they have plans to grab and build commercial buildings over there.
Such ``developers`` are involved in lobbying and bribing government officers as well.

There are so many ``developmental`` plans in the pipe line, which will forever seal the fate of this small and fragile town, few cases are highlighted here, for the attention of our esteemed readers.

1- ``Mohafiz khana`` or land record room contained centuries of hard work, hand written records, books, government maps, antiques and last year, it got burnt to ashes under mysterious circumstances??

The News international reported the incident, here is the link.

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jun2005-daily/07-06-2005/metro/p3.htm

Abbottabad was beautiful, because of such stone buildings with sloping roofs, mountain architecture and majestic local and exotic trees, which were planted in an organized manner.

2- 4000 kanals of Shimla mountain top along with its pine forest belong to the federal government and despite supreme court rulings, it has recently been leased off by TMA Abbottabad for commercial purposes.(shimla hill is visible in 1982 overview of Abbottabad)

The News international reported about it in national news section of September 09, 2005, here is the link:

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2005-daily/29-09-2005/national/n7.htm

3- For the last fifteen years, ``developers`` have been dumping building waste in the lush green natural drainage areas along the pine view road. These Cantonment contractors are now planning to build a commercial plazas in these newly filled natural drainage areas. It may please be noted that according to Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1997, dumping of waste and construction in natural drainage areas is illegal.

4- Some people have deliberately damaged roots of centuries old fragrant camphor and pine trees, which were present in the cantonment especially in the area adjacent to Abbottabad club annexe. There is a plan of construction of a commercial plaza in this green area, which will result in the destruction of mature trees. Arrival of the mobs of customers and their vehicles will further damage and reduce remaining greenery and trees of the neighborhood.

5- The developer who got lease of the former Mona Lisa restaurant has converted it into a shopping center. After bull dozing and ruining the green area he is now expanding his commercial project and paving the green area in collusion with government officials??

6- There was a little children park adjacent to DIG, police office and across the Army Medical corps mess. Park contains mature mahogany, horse chestnut and pine trees. That park and some portion of the neighboring drainage area has recently been sold off by an influential person to an influential person??


7- Commercial project is also going to be constructed at the annexe of a historic residence of Omar Asghar Khan on Pine view road. Omar`s wife is against the demolition of Omar`s memories and chopping down of mature camphor trees but Air Marshall and Omar`s brother are pursuing the project.

Completion of this project will open doors for the flood of similar commercial projects in the neighboring residences of the cantonment.

It may please be noted that construction of commercial plazas in the residences of Abbottabad cantonment was banned by the government of Pakistan, Ministry of defence, vide letter no. 72/90/Lands/ML&C/88-G dated 24.5.1989

Please note that in Pakistan,fragrant camphor trees and Lebanese cedars are only found in the landscapes of historic government bungalows, parks and buildings of Abbottabad


8- Several centuries old mature trees fell recently in the former Palace hotel as district government offices are being expanded in the lawns of this historic building. Government contractor brought a huge machine and he not only removed those trees in one day and dug the whole area, but he injured neighboring trees as well.


9- Construction of Rescue 15 police station has been proposed inside the lower half of the Lady Garden. Rescue 15 can easily be placed at the cantonment fire station and workshop, which exists next to the proposed site and it has huge under utilized area, built infrastructure and six (6) large garages, which are presently filled with scrap.


10- Victoria Memorial High school (now Government High School No.1) was built in 1860 AD, various prominent personalities of Pakistan resided in the hostel and got education from the school. Luckily school is still standing in its original shape along with 150 years old records and trophies.Instead of renovation, a portion of this school is going to be demolished in near future. An architectural asset, magnificent old trees and centuries old masonry work will be gone with the old school

11- Historic Bungalows of Abbottabad were built in 19th century, and in the absence of any legal protection, they are going to be demolished as soon as the new funding will be made available by the government.

For example residence of civil surgeon located in the civil lines is going to be demolished immediately and a wonderful example of stone masonry , solidly built master piece of symmetry,harmony and history along with exotic trees are going to be lost forever.

12- Saint Luke`s church is the oldest Gothic building of Abbottabad. It’s centuries old landscape has recently been destroyed and the old lawns have been bull dozed.


13- ``Ilayasi Mosque`` is built on the water springs and marble was used in its construction.It is a landmark heritage of Abbottabad. Mosque committee made some major changes few years back, in which old fountain and centuries old Chinar (maple) trees had to go. Some people were using dynamite also in the area, which could have stopped natural flow of the spring water.Now the committee is again planning to expand the ‘madrassa`` of the mosque and along with the history, some more mature trees will have to go.


14- In order to generate local power, Power House of Abbottabad was built in 19th century. A portion of that Power House is still standing, which contains stone building, historical switchgear and transformers. Electrical construction authorities are now planning to get rid of this heritage. ?? Can we save it for the study of our Civil and Electrical Engineering students? ??

15- Various mature pine and chinar trees have recently been chopped down in the telephone exchange, which is located along the Pine View road. Pine view road hardly carries any pine tree now and various horse chestnut, mahogany and ash trees are dying there, due to the poison created by the dumped building waste ??

16- More over GTS bus stand workshop which was a part of legally demarcated company bagh and originally belonged to women`s community centre has recently been leased out by TMA for commercial plaza.

17- ``Developers`` and greedy influentials are buying cheap land and building and selling slums at the surrounding historic Sarban and Shimla mountains of Abbottabad.They are doing it with out any planning or regard for regulations. Bio-diversity including trees, shrubs and birds (like golden eagle, shikras and magpies) of these mountains are being destroyed.Authorities are requested to declare leftovers of green spots of the city and cantonment along with Shimla and Sarban mountains as PROTECTED AREAS.

It is requested that under Federal and Provincial Antiquities Acts, legal protection to be given to the remaining cultural, natural and architectural heritage of Abbottabad.
Leftovers of mature trees, green belts and pine-covered hills of Abbottabad also need to be mapped and given protection under various sections of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act of 1997.

We need establishment of national registry for heritage buildings, green belts,parks and historic trees of Pakistan on emergency basis.

Treatment of a fragile hill station at our hands


During looting and destruction of Abbottabad by government authorities, 150 years old chinar and pine trees were chopped down and later on remaining trees also died due to damage caused to their roots.

If we look at the present day historic lady garden then one can notice Lebanese cedars on both sides and we should keep this in our mind that Lebanese cedars of Abbottabad can be presented as the healthiest and the most beautiful examples of this tree which is mentioned in religious books and which is about to be declared as endangered by UNESCO.

Unfortunately we lost some of our mature Lebanese cedars, Himalayan pines and Kashmiri chinars due to abuse, soil compaction and damage to roots etc. and remaining trees are also showing signs of die back and ill health.

Forest officers of Abbottabad have no passion or time for such things and gardeners cum contractors of cantt board and municipal committee, unfortunately even don,t know that they are mature world class Lebanese cedars.

We are trying to learn the ( mulching and manuring ) techniques which were used to heal and preserve the Lebanese cedars of some of the stately areas of the UK.

Hazara is a grazing ground and like an orphan and we are losing our heritage buildings and trees at very fast pace and citizens are not encouraged to come forward and claim their heritage.

In certain countries, such 19th centuries antique structures of stone masonry are considered priceless, as they help to keep the antiquity intact and promote tourism, but we destroy them, just for the sake of personal gains, bribes and kick backs.

In the same neigbourhood, historic bungalow of session judge was demolished, which was built with chiseled stones and pure deodar and teak wood was used in it.

A new master piece of Peshawar high court bench was pushed in that green area and the building got declared dangerous right after the completion and during the recent earth quake it crumbled further.

Will our government ever tell the tax payers about any necessary actions, if they were taken in this regard??

More over pine covered Sarban mountain is also visible in the photograph of court house.

This is the same mountain and the same pine trees about whom Allama Iqbal wrote his famous poem ``abr`` (bang e dara) during his visit of Abbottabad in 1904.

Pine trees of Sarban and Shimla mountains are getting destroyed as ``influential`` people have purchased cheap land up there and they are developing those areas for housing projects.

Contractors and MPAs of ruling parties are busy in lobbying and they want to ``develop`` that pristine and so far preserved area.

Same ``developers`` mafia wanted the gravity flow water supply scheme for greater Abbottabad and this recently approved project will seal the fate of the greenery and destroy the eco-system and habitats of ``shikras``, falcons, magpies and golden eagles for ever.

Existing water reservoirs of Abbottabad are surrounded by slums built at the lands of influential people and human waste and garbage is seriously contaminating water reservoirs and making people sick.

Moreover,newer reservoirs for gravity flow scheme for Abbottabad have been built further up at the Sarban and Shimla mountains and after availability of water at greater heights,slums with no infrastructure, sewerage system or planning will be moving up as government has no understanding of keeping such areas as protected and clean.

Please note that 60 percent of patients come to government hospitals due to gastro intestinal troubles.

Our government is talking about installation of expensive water filtration plants, they must keep this in their minds that our so called government engineers are only good at making financial deals with contractors and they have no hands on experience to operate or to maintain such plants.

Filtration plants which were installed in near past are not functional as there are no replacement filters, electric supply or enough water pressure.

Most of the developed countries simply keep reservoirs and catchment areas free from human constructions and such areas are kept green and clean.

Instead of fancy filtration plants, micro biologists or bio chemists monitor water and small doses of chlorine are added,as per requirements.

Most of the surrounding mountains of Abbottabad are ``jagirs`` or privately owned and in order to stop this catastrophe and destruction of eco system, government has to acquire them and to declare them as protected areas.

4000 kanals of Shimla mountain park along with its pine forest belong to the federal government and despite supreme court rulings, it has recently been leased out by TMA Abbottabad for commercial purposes.

The News international reported about it in national news section of September 09, 2005, here is the link:

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/sep2005-daily/29-09-2005/national/n7.htm

More over GTS bus stand workshop which was a part of legally demarcated company bagh and originally belonged to women`s community centre has recently been leased out by TMA for commercial plaza.

Children park which existed in a green belt next to DIG hazara police office has reportedly been sold off.

Next to DIG police office is the historic pine view road and local contractors have filled up the natural drainage area along the pine view road with the building waste and government authorities are now planning to build a massive commercial plaza in that green and prohibited for construction area.

Petrol pumps have been built in the cantonment public park and various other commercial projects and plazas in the neighbouring green belts have also got approved by serving and retired government and Army officials.

Government has failed to protect parks and green areas or to divert population pressure towards properly planned housing schemes.

Government has also failed to provide any national heritage board or registry, where such cultural, natural and architectural heritage could have been recorded.

In the absence of any central qualified authority, unskilled contractors in collusion with corrupt government officials have ruined the historic landscapes of lady garden, company bagh and surrounding government properties.

Do these custodians of public assets and government officials really love, respect and protect Pakistan??

Roz.

I am all for public transport - mass transit.

Thanks for article. The points raised are right no doubt.
Problem is not cutting trees, those Eucaliptus trees need to be removed as they most damaging to land, watertable and surrounding trees.
It is not water cutting but breeding of specially poor people is problem. Land can support 10 times the trees but the population is so high the all area along Indus may start sinking down, just so much overcrowding of people. B.Stan is more than 42% area is all land without water. Quetta will soon die in near future due to lack of sufficient water, fortunately we are told big Gport is going to get lots of desalinated water. Now god dam there is nothing beyond no water nothing and they want to make knew Karachi there. It is all stupidity crowned by Absurdity. Sindh is desert go beyond river indus few miles there is nothing. Any every year they are more and more cranking our more and more babies. Instead of cutting trees to help traffic reduce traffic by reducing production of people. Now all these idiots to not have to stop martial bliss. This family planning things are nearly as important discoveries as fire as you can control spread of people like weeds and still have entertainment. But masses are asses and theie asses need to be whipped. so they do not go on producing dark carbon copies of themselves. Now poor people demand always demard mercy and want handouts they aey are most cruel to their children by breeding like rats. You read story of poor people here he is dead and then he is poor and has 6 chidren and many times from one wife. This poor mentality has lead to people (poor) who can not support as many babies out of his poor wife till she is daed and exhausted by so many child births. This child birth of poor people is not day to celebrate but to mourn one more mouth to feed. I have no problem with dictorship is our birth right but we want like Sultan , Badshah who does not care but just want to do good. We will have no democracy as this land is full of idiots and is not fertile to produce democracy but can only sustain dictectorship like weed survives in bad lands and not mango tree. So we need benovelent dic. who will tell people to do right things or will whip. I like story of Ranjitsingh. One useless Fakir went to his court and told him that allah has come in his dream and wants he be given 100 rupees. Ranjit told him allah has told him to give him 50 lashes of whipping and he did that and allah`s wishes were carried out. I will support any despot only he makes people to control breeding and give place for breathing.
If you want to get to problem then you have to go to source of problem and you have to go against current. Musharaff will be great if he can control fertility or we can go on building roads and there will be always over crowding.
Good night.

Re: # 32

LOL! Marriage is the most lucrative business in Pakistan and sadly for some people, their main outlet for entertainment...