Tazeen Hasan
Mass transit projects are crucial for the operation of metropolis like Karachi and Lahore. Starting from London in late 19th Century they can be seen all over the world. Indian government successfully constructed and is now operating Delhi Metro since 2006 which was picturized the same year in film Bewafa starring Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, and Katrina Kaif as a gesture of India's development. While nobody can deny their significance, it is inevitable that these mass transit transportation projects affect historic heritage especially in cities like Delhi, Lahore, and Istanbul. Let me clear my stance. It is almost impossible to avoid historic sites during the construction of mass transit projects but these projects are also inevitable for the healthy working of big cities. Lahore is not an exception.
Heritage activists claim at least 26 historical monuments will be affected including Shalimar garden, General Post office, Supreme court-Lahore Registry, Lahore High Court, Mauj Darya and Chauburji. It is not mentioned in the news that how these monuments will be affected and how much. Nevertheless, it is clear that whole Shalamar Garden cannot be a victim. Parts of it may be affected but with proper planning, the damage may be reduced or the project may even be used for the enhancement of heritage site. Governments and administrations all over the world face the same dilemma but the construction never stops. Rather it is tried to reduce the damage as much as possible and alternative projects are employed to highlight the heritage.
In Nasar Dam project in Egypt, more than thousand ton Abu Simbel temple was moved from one place to another with the help of international community. Millions of tourist visit Abu Simbel Temple each year. Recently Harem extension in Makkah Saudi Arabia has removed some portion of Ottoman arcade because it was obligatory for the extension of mataf to make space for growing pilgrims. And last but not the least, during the construction of Modern Istanbul station, many new heritage sites were discovered.
Sustainability doesn't mean rejecting modern infrastructure it means development focus on needs of the people and the environment. Means can be adopted to protect the heritage as it is being employed all over the world. There are a number of ways by which the plans to enhance the heritage may be incorporated in the present Orange Line Metro. For instance, the buildings can be moved to a nearby site; new Museums can be erected near the train stations and objects from the demolished sites may be moved to those Museums. I am sure both citizens and tourist will appreciate this move and government's revenue will increase considerably.
As far is temperature soar and environmental concerns are concerned, I would like to remind that the alternative transport mini-buses, rikhsha and diesel vans have the worst impact on the pollution as compared to a metro.
Pakistani elite class frequently travels to western cities and almost all of them use Metro systems there. Even oriental cities like Cairo and Istanbul are having effective mass transit systems comprising of Metro. Cities around the world are constantly extending their metro networks. A modern transportation system is crucial for big Pakistani cities like Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta even Hyderabad. Keeping in view the population statistics, these projects will be self-sustained if run without corruption and nepotism.
Lahore High court's verdict against the Orange Line must be revised keeping in view how the world faces this challenge of fulfilling the modern transportation requirements of the citizens and protecting the heritage sites. Punjab government has challenged the decision in Supreme Court. Let's see what come out of the bag.
Mass transit projects are crucial for the operation of metropolis like Karachi and Lahore. Starting from London in late 19th Century they can be seen all over the world. Indian government successfully constructed and is now operating Delhi Metro since 2006 which was picturized the same year in film Bewafa starring Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, and Katrina Kaif as a gesture of India's development. While nobody can deny their significance, it is inevitable that these mass transit transportation projects affect historic heritage especially in cities like Delhi, Lahore, and Istanbul. Let me clear my stance. It is almost impossible to avoid historic sites during the construction of mass transit projects but these projects are also inevitable for the healthy working of big cities. Lahore is not an exception.
Heritage activists claim at least 26 historical monuments will be affected including Shalimar garden, General Post office, Supreme court-Lahore Registry, Lahore High Court, Mauj Darya and Chauburji. It is not mentioned in the news that how these monuments will be affected and how much. Nevertheless, it is clear that whole Shalamar Garden cannot be a victim. Parts of it may be affected but with proper planning, the damage may be reduced or the project may even be used for the enhancement of heritage site. Governments and administrations all over the world face the same dilemma but the construction never stops. Rather it is tried to reduce the damage as much as possible and alternative projects are employed to highlight the heritage.
In Nasar Dam project in Egypt, more than thousand ton Abu Simbel temple was moved from one place to another with the help of international community. Millions of tourist visit Abu Simbel Temple each year. Recently Harem extension in Makkah Saudi Arabia has removed some portion of Ottoman arcade because it was obligatory for the extension of mataf to make space for growing pilgrims. And last but not the least, during the construction of Modern Istanbul station, many new heritage sites were discovered.
Sustainability doesn't mean rejecting modern infrastructure it means development focus on needs of the people and the environment. Means can be adopted to protect the heritage as it is being employed all over the world. There are a number of ways by which the plans to enhance the heritage may be incorporated in the present Orange Line Metro. For instance, the buildings can be moved to a nearby site; new Museums can be erected near the train stations and objects from the demolished sites may be moved to those Museums. I am sure both citizens and tourist will appreciate this move and government's revenue will increase considerably.
As far is temperature soar and environmental concerns are concerned, I would like to remind that the alternative transport mini-buses, rikhsha and diesel vans have the worst impact on the pollution as compared to a metro.
Pakistani elite class frequently travels to western cities and almost all of them use Metro systems there. Even oriental cities like Cairo and Istanbul are having effective mass transit systems comprising of Metro. Cities around the world are constantly extending their metro networks. A modern transportation system is crucial for big Pakistani cities like Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta even Hyderabad. Keeping in view the population statistics, these projects will be self-sustained if run without corruption and nepotism.
Lahore High court's verdict against the Orange Line must be revised keeping in view how the world faces this challenge of fulfilling the modern transportation requirements of the citizens and protecting the heritage sites. Punjab government has challenged the decision in Supreme Court. Let's see what come out of the bag.
Media Bites Editorial - Tazeen Hasan
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