By Muhammad Naeem Khan Niazi
LAHORE, Mar 06 (APP): Lahore owes its splendor to the Mughal era when most of the historic buildings were erected and the gardens were laid and their love for nature left a lasting imprint with gardens becoming its identity. What Mughal emperor Shah Jahan started with Shalamar Bagh was emulated by the subsequent rulers including the Sikhs and the British.
Once the city nurtured Shalamar Bagh, this voyage continued with creation of Garden of Mirza Kamran, Graden of Mahabat Khan, Naulakha Graden, Bagh e Dara, Anguri Bagh, Badami Bagh, Raja Teja Singh Gradens (Chah Miran), Raja Dina Nath Garden, Bhai Maha Singh Bagh (Shah Alam Gate), Gol Bagh (Nasir Bagh), Lahore Zoological Garden, Anarkali Garden and the Manto Park that earned Lahore the celebrated title of ‘City of Gradens’.
The Mughal gardens were patterned on the Persian ‘Charbagh’ structure which replicated an earthly utopia where human beings lived in complete harmony with elements of nature. Pools, fountains and canals made up central components of these gardens embedded on the plains while the Central Asian Charbaghs were developed on the mountain slopes where water was in abundance. These gardens were the source of green cover in the cities and helped maintain the environmental balance.
With the passage of time, the disproportionate influx of people to this city adversely affected the eco-system and balance between man and nature thus devouring its greenery and beauty. Voices were raised to build a parallel city to stem the rot caused by over-population, pollution and dearth of clean drinking water for the ever burgeoning population. But to no vain until Prime Minister Imran khan took the gauntlet to build a new environment city under the banner of Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA).
The Ravi City, also called the Ravi Riverfront project, is being developed on a 46-kilometre area along the banks of the dying river Ravi and is planned to resurrect the river, improve depleting water-table of the old Lahore, provide a solution to the housing problems, overcome environmental challenges, create jobs and lure foreign investments. RUDA has launched the ‘Chahar Bagh’ residential project to provide a modern, majestic and smart living within the provincial metropolis.
The word Chahar Bagh (originally Persian Charbagh) connotes the oriental heritage and paradise-like settings with abundance of water and greenery. This project promises a 46-kilometre long lake with 40 percent green area in the middle of the housing project to make it an environment-friendly and earthly-paradise.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) RUDA Imran Amin has pinned great hopes from this project to inject new life to city’s environment degradation and depleting water resource. Meant for varying income group, the project’s state-of-the art planning and proper utilization of resources would help restore beauty of this historic city.
“We are going to construct 600 flats for laborers and industrial workers and the area will be directly linked to the Lahore Ring Road, Main Motorways and Sialkot Motorway,” Imran Amin said.
He informed that a 70 MW waste-to-energy power plant will also be installed while the Saphhire Business Bay – the industrial zone – is expected to generate a business of about one billion dollars. The CEO RUDA said that Jawadan Group consortium including Fatima, Habib Rafique and Ghani groups are some of the major local investors who will develop the Chahar Bagh project. “Chahar Bagh will be funded through investment and without any recourse to foreign loans.”
According to construction plan, this residential city will include a 45-storeyed building – hoped to be masterpiece of architecture among tall buildings – with multiple 10-12 storey buildings besides 3000 apartments to meet the housing needs of the ever-growing Lahore. The city will also offer 10 Marla and one kanal residential plots besides the commercial area.
The CEO of ‘Jaga.com.pk’ Muhammad Amanullah said the salient feature of the Chahar Bagh is the constitution of an autonomous authority to complete the project. “We hope there will be no political interference and RUDA will be able to complete this project without any snags.”
Recently, Political and Chief Economist at the United States Consulate in Lahore Kathleen Gibilisco and U.S. Commercial Counselor Pakistan John Coronado had visited Chahar Bagh and it is expected that U.S. investments will also pour in for Information Technology and energy components of this project.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister (SACM) on Information and Spokesperson Punjab government Hassan Kawar has said that Chahar Bagh project will create thousands of jobs in the housing, construction and allied sectors besides attracting investment from local and overseas Pakistanis.
“Chahar Bagh Housing project is in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of a green and sustainable Pakistan as 40 percent area has been set aside for the green cover,” he said. He hoped that once completed this project would give a new look to the city and provide dwellers eco-friendly and healthy environment to live in besides curtailing mushroom growth of ill planned housing societies.
Chahar Bagh residential project is being developed on a piece of 200 acre land near Mehmood Booti, Lakho Der – the site, previously allotted for the Fruit and vegetable market in the provincial metropolis. It is a self financing project to be funded through indigenous resources without any foreign borrowing. The project will serve a model for foreign investors to invest in other projects of the RUDA.
