LDA’s master plan to hit 135 villages, towns

Director says project to improve quality of life

LAHORE

As many as 135 villages and towns having an approximate population of over nine lakh will come in the area identified in master plan made by Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to extend urbanisation and development to the districts of Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Sheikhupura.

As per the master plan’s EIA report available with The News, 135 villages/towns are situated in the project area, out of which 16 villages/towns fall in Lahore district, 17 villages fall in Tehsil Muridke, Ferozewala and Sheikhupura of District Sheikhupura, nine villages/towns fall in district Nankana Sahib and remaining 91 villages/towns fall in district Kasur.

As per the master plan, the villages coming in the project area of district Lahore and their estimated population are Keet (1,300), Srach (2,500), Badarpur (5,000), Khano Harni (4,000), Mala Ram (2,000), Saya Asal (2,500), Asal (2,500), Jham (1,250), Bado Ki (1,250), Asal Suleman (1,300), Khand (2,500), Chak Bota (3,000), Watna (1,300), Geabaga (1,600), Jalalpura (1,350) and Jodhath (3,500).

The villages/towns coming in the project area of district Sheikhupura included Muridke (100,000), Tetli (6,000), Sekham (4,000), Farooqabad Sachsoda (15,000), Kot Sondo (10,000), Paday (12,000), Kamyarpura (13,000), Bando ki (12,000), Asoirky (10,000), Warn (17,000), Chanke (14,000), Kange (12,000), Kugar (16,000), Butterh (13,000), Chak 523 (10,000), Chak 560 (10,000), Sheikhupura NawanKot (30,000) and Ferozwattwan (30,000).

The villages/towns coming in the project area of district Kasur included Mindianwala (3,000), Purani Mandi Pattoki (2,500), Fraz Colony (3,500), Torkot (2,250), Adan (3,400), Partab Garh (1,600), Waan Khara (1,850), Doba Pind (3,000), Fareeda Kot (4,000), Narwaki (3,400), Malan Wala (3,300), Sachak Dholan (2,400), Gheen (3,200), Doaki (2,700), Khrepar Sharif (3,500), Ghanjian Wala (3,600), Teeliann (4,500), Muhammad Din Kot (3,500), Bheedian (4,500), Lambay Jageer (10,000), Mega (4,000), Kamorkal (5,400), Aulakh (6,700), Balloki (8,000), Jalleki (5,000), Sarnaki (6,000), Shair Pur (4,500), Ghumnaki (6,000), Barmake (3,500), Boonga (7,000), Chalian (3,400), Kot Naka Singh (4,500), Chakoki (5,000), Kot Radha Kishan (10,000), Nawi Basti (12,000), Phalntar (3,600), Nawi Abadi (7,000), Kot Akbar Abadi (12,000), Dhobsari (12,000), Thathi Pind (4,000), Mustafabad main (2,500), Sattouki (4,500), Meher Muhammad (500), Panhana Wala (700), Reeg (400), Siryali (500), Bari Siryali (900), Cheena Wala (600), Raye Kalan (500), Balluki (700), Wadana (500), Pakki Velli (400), Choti Kari (600), Natthay (700), Havelyan (450), Kasur (150,000), Herakot (20,000), Ghulam Muhammad Khan Kot (15,000), Phetuwala Kot (10,000), Committee Ghar Chak (5,000), Muradkot (30,000), Bulleh Shah (10,000), Railway Road (10,000), Usman Khan Road (10,000), Islampura (7,000), Draz Shah (65,000), Nawab Shah (7,500), Tahilpura (6,000), Adahwala (3,500), Anwarwala (3,500), Pillow Wadana (4,000), Paki Haweli (4,000), Khuddan Khas Khaca Pacca (1,000), Sanda Klan (500), Dholan (300), Bhigpur (200), Khai (500), Nandanpura (200), Ding Shan (700), Rait chala (400), Cherkot (700), Baghbanpura (900), Saad (300), Rakhwala (200), Nainwala (210), Said (230), Wiran Gaggia (250), Noorpura (175), Todhowala (200), Fakeerwala (350) and Doholywala (170).

The villages/towns coming in the project area of District Nankana Sahib, including Mandi Faizabad (2,500), Syed Wala (2,000), Bucheki (4,000), Nankana Sahib (5,500), More Khundal (3,000), Warburton (4,000), Shah Kot-I (12,000), Shah Kot-II (1,500) and Sangla Hill (7,000). The master plan revealed that out of 135 villages/towns, 90 percent have education facility from primary to higher secondary level. There is one veterinary university in the project area. In 10 percent villages, there is no educational facility, even at primary school level. The parents have to send their children to the nearest village where school is available. Girl’s schools are far less than schools for boys in the project area. Therefore, it is difficult for the girls to having access to educational institution. Traveling long distance to access the school for girls is the main cause of illiteracy.

The survey indicates out of 135 villages there are 17 private and public hospitals and 10 basic health units in the project area, 120 private practitioners (not qualified doctors but dispensers, quacks, etc) are practicing as health facility provider in different villages.

It is evident from the survey results that 97 percent villages/towns have electricity facility, whereas 3 percent villages do not have the facility of electricity. The villages/towns, where electricity facility is not available, people use kerosene oil as a source of light.

The survey reveals that only 27 percent villages/towns of the total project area are enjoying the natural gas facility provided by government while a significant number of villages (73 percent) have to use wood or gas cylinders for fuel purpose.

Most of the people use mobile telephone facility; however, the availability of landline telephone facility in the surveyed villages indicates that 70 percent villages have telephone facility and 30 percent villages do not have telephone facility. In 30 pecent villages where telephone facility is not available, the only option is to use mobile phones.

The survey results indicate that people of 58 percent villages have access to public transport e.g. bus, van and motorcycle rickshaw etc for travelling purpose. The remaining 42 percent villages do not have public transport and they use private transport such as motor car, motorcycle, bicycle or travel by foot. Survey results that a large number of the villages/towns have either soling (27 percent) or Katcha (21 percent) roads/track and 10 percent villages have only proper roads. Furthermore, 42 percent of the villages have mixed types of roads.

The EIA survey revealed that only two percent people have access to tap water supply system, most of the population of project area (94 percent) uses both hand pumps and electric motor pumps to extract ground water for domestic water usage. There are only 4 percent of villages where extraction of ground water is being carried out only through hand pumps. Proper sewerage system is not available in the project villages. However, the local residents use small open drains and septic tanks system made by them.

Housing characteristics of the population indicate the living condition and social well-being. Survey indicates that 93.6 percent of the houses of the selected households in the project area are Pucca, while 2.4 percent are Katcha, and 4 percent are Semi-Pacca. During the field visit, the Katcha housing pattern was only observed in the proposed urban areas of few villages of Kala Khtai road.

LDA’s Director Shakeel Minhas said that the proposed master plan would improve the quality of life in the project area. He said LDA was only going to rationalise the already developed and urban areas of these districts so that proper urban planning could be done in these districts.

He added that the master plan would restrict land use to certain limits, which will save environmental degradation as well as habitat loss. He concluded that the plan would provide designated industrial, commercial and residential areas so that no one can use the land beyond its capacity.