RAVI URBAN DEVELOPMENT AUTORITY (RUDA):

ESSAY 

The Punjab government recently directed the Lahore Development Authority to lay the groundwork for establishing an independent Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA). Initially, the new government body was being planned under the aegis of the LDA, however, this plan was later scrapped. Reportedly, if the new authority is developed as an independent government entity, then it will have its own governing body and it will be responsible for establishing a new city along the Ravi riverfront. Previously, the RUDA was supposed to be similar to the WASA and the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency. Now it will be a separate authority and the LDA has already been directed to prepare the paperwork for the purpose.

Sustainable development goals:

The unsustainability of the Project from an ecological, environmental and financial perspective argued by the Society seems to reflect a myopic view of the ever-changing and developing world, especially in view of the ever-increasing population of Lahore, a provincial capital. It is submitted that the Project has been conceived in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Under the 2030 Agenda of the UN, the economic, social and development dimensions of “sustainable development” are to be integrated in harmony. They are to be construed as a whole and not in a fragmented manner. One goal should not encroach upon other goals and if we examine SDG 17 (global partnerships and cross-sector collaboration), the Project aims to accomplish a majority of the goals listed under it by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, sustainable communities, job opportunities and further healthcare and educational opportunities to its residents. Moreover, the Society’s argument with regard to the Project’s potential detrimental effects to the environment is also frail as the Project intends to plant vegetation around the current barren lands of River Ravi and help with its sanitization and treatment, which even the River Ravi Commission has, to date, been unsuccessful with.

Sustainable development is no doubt an evolving concept and it is noteworthy to mention that under our domestic law the Supreme Court of Pakistan has taken a pragmatic approach in its landmark judgment pertaining to an environmental issue

Ecosystem

The Project also claims to value the ecosystem of River Ravi and appears committed to legally resolving any environmental impediments for the betterment of its development. Moreover, its concept is not only in sync with the hortatory non-binding goals of the United Nations but is also supported by the doctrine of precedent of our Supreme Court.

The argument that the channelization of River Ravi is against the principles of sustainable development and ecological sustainability has little weight at this point. Whether or not any purported channelization of River Ravi will affect the ecology of the River is a question to be determined by the relevant experts and consultants in the field. Their recommendations in this regard shall be implemented in the execution of the Project. During the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) process, such reports should be presented to the concerned agencies for their approval under the Punjab Environment Protection Act 1997 (PEPA 1997).

Moreover, the Society’s argument that riverbanks are an integral part of the river ecosystem and the hydraulics of rivers where there is no defined edge should be maintained, is to be decided upon after comprehensive reports by the relevant experts and consultants in the field. During the EIA process, such reports will be presented to the concerned agencies for their approval under PEPA (Pakistan Environmental Protection Act).

The reality of River Ravi is that it is currently a “sewage nullah”, as quoted by the Prime Minister. The benefits of implementing the project outweigh the environmental concerns being stressed upon by the Society. Any environmental damage apprehended at this point is pure conjecture. A proper EIA should be carried out before the execution of the Project and all matters pertaining to the environment and ecology of River Ravi and its surrounding topography should be addressed through the proper medium, as per the regulatory laws of our land. The Project is essential for the sustainable development of Punjab and will save River Ravi from further damage.

Drawbacks of RUDA

The bulldozers came at the crack of dawn, and they came with no warning. As they rumbled through farmland with the watery September sun at their backs, they were accompanied by a small army of private guards and officials from the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA). Tenants and landowners that farm the land watched on with resignation while their crops were destroyed, and waterways blocked. 

The Ravi Riverfront Project is many things. At its best, it is a vein, bloated, misguided attempt that many environmentalists and hydrological experts have called an impending ecological and social disaster. At its worst, it is an uncaring attempt to turn the Ravi and its embankments into a playground for real estate developers that intend to treat it as a cash-cow for at least the next two decades

For better or worse, it has become a bone of contention with political undertones. A pet project of former prime minister Imran Khan, it was declared illegal and unconstitutional by the Lahore High Court last year and has recently been given reprieve by the Supreme Court. That verdict in addition to the PTI back in charge in Punjab may be what is behind the latest attempt by RUDA to seize lands that they claim they have legally acquired and which the owners of these lands say have not been.

CONCLUSION: