Lahore: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has been given the task of repairing, maintaining, and restoring dangerous buildings, particularly those in the Walled City. The government has pledged PKR 100 million for this work, to be carried out in five phases, and PKR 20 million will be provided for each phase.
The WCLA has identified 72 buildings, all of which must be restored under civil techniques and methods for the conservation of cultural heritage. The government has advised the authority to undertake the project in five phases. For each phase, the WCLA will move a separate summary to the Department of Planning and Development with details of the buildings to be restored, the estimated cost, and the time required for completion.
“In the first phase we will restore and maintain 18 buildings we have identified and declared most dangerous. Work is set to begin by next month,” said WCLA Director Najim Saqib.
He added that while restoring these buildings, the WCLA would try to avoid eviction of residents. Even if residents were asked to stay at another place in exceptional circumstances, it would not be for more than a period of 15-30 days.
The issue is finally being addressed after several tragic incidents, including the collapse of a factory on Multan Road in 2012 that killed 24 people and the recent collapse of an industrial building in Sundar Estate that killed over 45 workers.
