World hydrology expert from US visits RUDA

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Landscape Architect from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA Dr James L. Wescoat along with delegation from LUMS called on CEO RUDA Imran Amin on Friday.

Dr James L Wescoat is famous for his multidisciplinary study of climate risks in Indus River Basin, water management, multilateral water treaties, political economies of landscape change, water-energy food nexus and Mughal era architecture in Subcontinent. Being an academician, author and expert on hydrology, he has shown keen interest in understanding the RUDA as the world’s largest waterscape initiative.

Director Hydrology Mohsin Atiq gave a comprehensive presentation covering the complete ambit of hydrological, ecological and environmental aspect of the overall concept of the upcoming new city by the river.

River Ravi is now not part of Lahore’s Sociology, therefore Mr Mohsin explained that aim of RUDA is to rejuvenate, reintroduce and enliven the River Ravi with all of its lost biodiversity and connection to the people.

Dr James asked questions about the channel migration, future barrages and their operational curves, the riparian ecosystem, algae bloom in standing water, flood plain management and non-structural measures for water management.

Mohsin Atiq explained these concepts as being already engrained in the RUDA masterplan. He categorically elaborated that all the concerns are pre-hand researched and incorporated, rather the technical tweaking and corrections are undergoing every now and then by modelling and building different operational scenarios. CEO Imran Amin adding to the discourse, commented that urban development is the second principle, first is the resuscitation of environment and ecology that is why the RUDA Act and 2016 Punjab Flood Plains Regulations are aimed at same trajectory. He said RUDA is answer to the sociohydrology of Ravi where over a period of time around 1 lac low-cost houses will be built through RUDA’s own CSR funds. It is

In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a woman was killed, today, when she was hit with a bullet fired by her husband from a rifle belonging to the member of Indian army-backed Village Defence Guards (VDG) in Poonch. The incident took place in Surankote area of the district. A police officer told media men that the information was received through reliable sources that a woman was killed due to bullet wounds while her husband was arrested and the weapon, a rifle of the VDG member, has been seized.

Pertinently, over 5,000 members of the VDGs, majority of them Hindus, have been given rifles and more are queuing up to get arms in various districts of Jammu region in the last few days. There are around 28,000 VDGs in the Jammu region. As the weapons have been issued to the VDG members without any regulations and control mechanism, mishandling and misuse of guns remain a matter of serious concern. There are more than 200 FIRs related to the cases of murder, rape, rioting and drugs registered against the VDG members in various districts.

Fawad Ch sent to jail as court rejects extension in remand

cOntInUED fROM pAGE 01 not going to be a city for rich, it is going to be city for all with the revival spirit of Lahore.

A first information report was registered against the PTI leader at the Kohsar police station in Islamabad on the complaint of Secretary of the Election Commission Umar Hameed.

The FIR has been registered with sections 153-A (promotion of enmity between groups), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief), and 124-A (sedition) of the Pakistan Penal Code at Islamabad’s Kohsar Police Station.

It stated that Fawad, in a speech outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s house, threatened the ECP and said that “those who become part of the caretaker government [in Punjab] will be pursued until they are punished”.

Later in a tweet, the Islamabad police said that Fawad tried to “incite violence against a constitutional institution” and “inflame the sentiments of the people”. It added that the case will be processed as per the law.

Bail plea in sedition case: On the other hand, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry filed a post-arrest bail plea in the district and sessions court in a sedition case filed against him. The development comes as a judicial magistrate in the federal capital sent the former information minister to the Adiala Jail on 14-day judicial remand after rejecting a prosecution plea for extension in physical remand of Mr Chaudhry.

Earlier, the counsel for the PTI leader moved the court of Judicial Magistrate Waqas Ahmed Raja for post-arrest bail. However, the judge refused to hear the case, saying it did not fall under his jurisdiction. Later, a petition was filed in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Faizan Haider Gillai who has issued notices to the parties and adjourned hearing till Saturday (today).

The bail petition states that Fawad Ch: “has falsely been involved in the instant case by the complainant with the malafide intention and ulterior motives just to harass, pressurize and blackmail the present petitioner, whereas, the allegations leveled in the FIR are absolutely false, frivolous and baseless and the petitioner is quite innocent. Moreover, the petitioner has no link or concern with the commission of alleged offence”.

He further emphasized that through water treatment plant, waste disposal and planting forests, a change will be brought.

The model for all the developments and ecological innovations will be based on efficiency rather than the mere technology.

Dr James alluding about master plan of RUDA asked about the flood management mechanism. The CEO explained the same by juxtaposing with complete geomorphology of RUDA area as against the masterplan and commented that despite all the studies, crystallization of plans, still the masterplan is flexible to the changes as dictated by further scientific studies, laws governing the nature, climate or scenario modelling.

It is pertinent to note that number of RUDA officials attended this session and participated by giving their inputs wherever required.

Dr James appreciated the efforts put-in by RUDA’s experts by working at the minutest details through different studies. He thanked CEO Imran Amin for providing him this opportunity to have reviewed the world’s largest riverfront project. He also offered his technical expertise and guidance whenever it is solicited.

At the end, CEO Imran Amin assured that all measures will be taken to make this project a success as no other option has left to safe Lahore from its future water, environmental and ecological vows.