Experts are against Nespak report
Submitting a report before the Supreme Court, The technical experts completely differed from the findings of NESPAK about construction of Orange Line Metro Project, Lahore through submitting a report before the Supreme court.
A 5-member bench led by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had constituted a commission of technical experts on 13th October, comprising a member from TYPSA – Asia Consulting Engineers (Pvt) Ltd and Professor Robin Cuningham, UNESCO Professor in department of archaeology, University of Durham, UK, with directives to re-verify credibility of NESPAK reports of July 2015 and Feb 2016 in context of Antiquities Act, 1975 and Punjab Special Premises (Preservation) Ordinance, 1985.
The findings of TYPSA – Consulting Engineering are that the NESPAK reports seem to be very serious and complete from structural point of view. It is relevant with respect to safety and stability of buildings, both during the construction stage and under train operation. The approach adopted by NESPAK is conservative that gives vibrations/velocities higher than actual.
The TYPSA report states: “The NESPAK reports rightly conclude that the levels obtained by calculation will be within the permissible limits and there will be no adverse effect on any of these sites.” It concluded that the reports of NESPAK are compliant with the international codes and standards.
Prof Robin’s report is that both NESPAK reports have significant failings and oversights in the context of Antiquities Act, 1975 and the Punjab Special Premises (Preservation) Ordinance, 1985. It has strongly recommended that their failing be mitigated by the urgent commissioning of comprehensive and credible inter-disciplinary Heritage Impact Assessment.
The report added that the Lahore Orange Metro Train route clearly contravenes clause 22 of the Antiquities Act, 1975 and clause 11 of Punjab Special Premises (Preservation) Ordinance, 1985 as its execution evidently represents a development scheme and involves new constructions with 200 feet of the 5 immovable antiquities, which are protected under the Act and the Ordinance.
The project also contravenes clause 23 of the Act as it is associated with the erection of poles to support its viaduct near the five immovable antiquities, the report added.
The report further said that the NESPAK July 2015 report fails to consider the effects of vibrations from viaduct piers on 2 additional potentially affected buildings. These include the surviving Mughal Reservoir, which forms part of the Shalamar Gardens, protected by the Antiquities Act and Lakshmi Building, protected under the Ordinance, 1985.
The NESPAK’s July 2015 report fails to present a physical and technical evaluation of the stability of 5 potentially affected monuments. The report said it is clear failing of the NESPAK’s July 2015 report that it does not evaluate or present the potential impact and vibrations from the eventual of the viaduct piers once they have reached the end of the practical lifespan.
Prof Robin’s report also states that neither NESPAK’s July 2015 nor Feb 2016 reports make reference to the potential damage to subsurface parts of the immovable 5 antiquities and Special Premises.
He says that the reports present these structures as single isolated monuments, while they represent portions of garden complexes within enclosing walls and gates, all of which are equally protected by Pakistani law.
