Pakistan to get it’s very own Dubai-Like mega-city worth approximately Rs. 5 Trillion.
Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has approved the construction of the project titled the ‘Ravi Riverfront Project.’
The construction of the elite modern-city project will take place in the north of Lahore and will spread out to over 100,000 acres.
According to an official statement, the Punjab government would proclaim an ordinance for the establishment with the Cheif Minister as its chairperson.
The Cheif Minister shared that the Punjab Cabinet will finalize the final approval on finance and other matters which are concerned with the project.
Aim Of The Project
The ideology behind this project is to improve the lifestyle while tackling everyday problems, including traffic congestion, water shortage, and environmental pollution in Lahore.
What To Expect
Reportedly, Ravi Riverfront will be divided into 14 district zones. These zones will be summed up with different projects coming together to form a community. That includes:
- Residential Zones
- Central Business District
- Commercial Zones
- Medical City
- Large Lake with three barrages
- Forest Reserve
- Urban Farms
- Sports City
- Tourism Spots
- Innovation and Knowledge City
Prime Minister Imran Khan Supports Urban Green Project
From day 1, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has always shown his green thumb for planting and urban green projects.
Reportedly, the premier headed a meeting in regards to the Ravi Riverfront Urban Development Project in Lahore with the presence of the Lahore Development Authority. The purpose of this meeting was to prepare a plan to tackle concerns surrounding issues of clean drinking water as well as unplanned construction.
The Prime Minister, in a statement made last year, talked about his vision for future urban development. He stated that these projects would:
allow for more green spaces as Pakistan is one of the most environmentally-threatened countries.
Moreover, he added that:
arable land is being eaten up by housing societies and has grave consequences for our food security in the future
Hence, it is vital to allow the construction of buildings to:
to go as high as in other cities across the world
While keeping all international safety standards in mind.
Environmentalists Think Otherwise
While the Prime Minister and Cheif Minister support the project, environmentalists like Dr. Masoud Arshad, Senior Director, Water, Food, and Climate at WWF Pakistan think otherwise.
According to Dr. Arshad, the Ravi Riverfront project may “put additional pressure on the existing natural resources and lead to a shortage of underground water resources in near future.”
Moreover, he urged the policymakers to give priority to sustainable development.
“We should study and implement the ‘Room for River approach’ as “the floodplain of the River Ravi should be kept intact to address the issues of floods (impacts of climate change) and to recharge our lost aquifers,” he told Gulf News.
We will have to wait and see how the project turns out and if it meets expectations as it was supposed to.
Stay tuned to Brandsynario.