LDA has a master plan

LAHORE – The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has presented the Integrated Master Plan of Lahore 2021, to guide the expansion of provincial metropolis, keeping in view futuristic demands, LDA Chief Metropolitan Planner (CMP) Waseem Ahmed Khan said on Wednesday. The CMP was briefing to a group of 40 probationary officers of the District Management Group who visited the LDA office, Johar Town in connection with the 34th specialised training programme.

The DMG officers were briefed about the organisation, functions, performance and future planning of the LDA Urban Development Wing, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) as well as the Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (TEPA) for the development of infrastructure in Lahore. The CMP said that the LDA had forwarded recommendations in all sectors of urban planning, including land development, housing, transportation, community facilities, public utilities, infrastructure, environment and institutional framework.

He said that the master plan has recommended the future expansion and development of Lahore to the south of Hadyara drain and in light of the master plan recommendation, the LDA had already floated three housing schemes in the area. The most significant of these schemes was the LDA City, with an area of 45,000 Kanal, on Ferozepur road near Kahna Nau. The LDA has also approved 24 Private Housing Scheme in this area, the CMP added.

Waseem said that to lower the pressure on existing Central Business District on Mall Road, the master plan has proposed two sites for establishing commercial centres in the city. He informed about the planned construction of an IT Tower, superstore, five-star hotel, bank square, health club, hospital, mosque, recreation area, parking and mini golf club in the area.

To curb migration to Lahore, the master plan has recommended that settlements falling at the radius of 75 kilometres from Lahore may be upgraded and developed as Satellite Town with specialised facilities, the CMP added. Settlements that can be upgraded for this purpose include Shiekhupura, Sharakpur, Mureedke, Raiwind, Bhaipheru, Pattoki and Kasur, he said. TEPA Engineering Director Khalid Alvi said that TEPA had conserved over 200 kilometres of ‘Right of Way’ of the structural plan roads in the South of Lahore, in accordance with the master plan 2021, saving the Punjab government an expenditure of approximately Rs 20 billion on account of acquisition of land otherwise. He said that the TEPA was executing several projects for the improvement of roads in the city, including the re-modelling of the Model Town Link Road, rehabilitation of the Maulana Shabbir Usmani Road and re-modelling of the Main Boulevard Garden Town from Kalma Chowk to New Campus Canal Crossing.

Speaking at the occasion, WASA Planning Director Abdul Qadeer said that to ensure proper management of the systems, WASA Lahore has prepared its 6-year Business Plan with the assistance of JICA and the Urban Unit. The business plan has been prepared to incorporate a road map to achieve financial sustainability of WASA. The visiting DMG probationers thanked the LDA officers for a comprehensive briefing about the development of Lahore.

Lahore Future Extension