By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: A new route connecting Margalla Avenue and the M1 has been approved by the federal government. The Rs. 5.45 billion project was approved by the civic body’s chairman, Noor-ul-Mengal, at a meeting of the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) Development Working Party (DWP) and will be completed in eight months.
The interchange at N5 is also included in the project. Margalla Avenue, which runs from G.T. Road to D-12, will be connected to the new section of the 5-kilometer-long road from D-12 to E-11. This section is currently under construction and will be finished soon.
The civic agency is also preparing for the construction of the projected 11th Avenue, which would run from E-11 to the Srinagar Highway, to relieve traffic congestion on Margalla Avenue and other routes.
On Wednesday, a senate committee ordered CDA to cease building a road from Shah Allah Ditta that crosses the Margalla Hills National Park and connects the capital to Haripur. The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change meeting issued this instruction.
Chairwoman of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) Rina Saeed Khan briefed the committee that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) initiated the project without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The chairwoman later quoted the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rulings prohibiting development in conservation areas. She alleged that CDA is building the road for real estate, not local communities and visitors.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman stressed the necessity for a clear boundary to stop encroachments. She also discussed her efforts to stop the construction of a road through the national park by contacting relevant officials.
