Civil work on Orange Line Metro gears up to start its operation in December

Lahore : Two third of the civil work on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project has so far been completed and efforts have been geared up for starting train’s operation on 25 December 2017.

Chairman of steering committee for the project Khawaja Ahmad Hassan informed this during the weekly progress review meeting, here, Wednesday.

Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shabaz Sharif has granted tax exemption amounting to a total of Rs. 113.8 million to the 2673 persons who’s business was affected due to construction activities along the route of Metro Train, he disclosed. As many as 2604 persons have been granted waiver of property tax to the tune of Rs. 112 million whereas 69 persons have been given exemption in professional tax amounting to a total of Rs. 0.93 million, he added.

Chief Minster Punjab has directed for carrying out another survey for providing relief package to the small shop keepers and khokha owners who do not fall in the category of either property tax payers or professional tax payers, with a view to compensate their loss as a result of construction activity in the area.

The meeting was told that 66.5 per cent civil work of the project so far has been completed. Progress on package-I from Dera Gujjaran, G.T.Road to Chouburji was81.5 per cent, on package-II from Choburji to Ali Town was 49.5 per cent, on Depot near Dera Gujran was 72 per cent while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town it was 62.8 per cent.

The meeting was informed that grey structure of seven elevated stations has been constructed along package-I while work on another four stations was in full swing. So far 640 out of the total of 670 U-tub girders required for construction of elevated viaduct along package-I have been precast while 503 such girders have been launched. Work for construction of ground floor slab of underground Anarkali Station is underway. The Chinese contractor CR-NORINCO has started installation of escalators on Islam Park station besides doing other electrical and mechanical works at site.

Form works to precast transoms and U-tubs girders required for construction of elevated train in package-II have been imported and precast of transoms have been started. Construction work of four stations of this package, Chauburji, Gulshan Ravi, Samanabad and Bund Road will be completed by 15 June while the remaining nine stations will be completed till 15 July.

Khawaja Ahmad Haassan directed for expediting road construction work between Samanabad and Chowk Yateem Khana for facilitating flow of traffic in the area. He also called upon all the relevant departments as well as the contractors for getting their staff trained by Resue 1122 for adopting safety measure in case of any untoward incident.

Member Provincial Assembly, Chaudhary Shahbaz Ahmad, Managing Director WASA Ch. Abdul Qadeer, Chief Engineer LDA Asrar Saeed,  General Manager Punjab Mass Transit Authority Syed Ozair Shah, General Manager NESPAK Salman Hafeez, Chief Engineer TEPA Saif-ur-Rehman, senior officials of LESCO, PTCL, SUI GAS, Traffic Police, Railways, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Chinese Contractor, CR- NOROINCO, Representatives of Chinese Engineering Consultant and Local Contractors of the project attended the meeting.