ISLAMABAD: (APP) Railway Tracks beautification project launched across the country
Federal Minister for Railways, Saad Rafique Tuesday informed Senate that the policy for establishing green belts along railways tracks through district government/TMAs had been framed and circulated to all the Railway divisions.
He said that the project was aimed at developing landscaping along tracks in order to prevent open defecation and squatting.
The minister said that in this context a pilot project had been conceived for implementation on Shahdara - Raiwind section in collaboration with Lahore Development Authority, Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Punjab.
He said that Punjab government had provided one billion rupees for the project.
The minister said that solid waste collection and disposal services in the Railway controlled areas along the track would be provided by LWMC while the plantation of trees and development of green areas would be the responsibility of PHA.
The survey from Shahdara to Raiwind has been completed and strips for establishing green belts have been identified.
This model will be implemented in other areas as well, the minister added.
The minister said that city district government/TMA Okara had agreed the solid waste collection and disposal in the Railway areas along the track in Okara city and subsequent development of green belt. He said that efforts were being made for similar arrangements in other cities also.
Answering another question, he said that double track on Karachi-Peshawar mainline existed only on Karachi -Lodhran (843 Km) and Raiwind-Lahore Sections (47 Km) at the time of independence.
The track between Lodhran-Raiwind has already been doubled in two phases i.e. Lodhran- Khanewal (121Km) and Khanewal- Raiwind (246Km) with a total cost of Rs. 15479.880 million.