Faisalabad: The Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) has been directed to immediately secure the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report from the Environment Protection Department in compliance with the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) recent ruling that declared the Faisalabad Master Plan 2021–2041 null and void.
Commissioner Faisalabad Raja Jehangir Anwar issued these directions while speaking to media representatives about ongoing urban development challenges in the city. He said the LHC had set aside the 20-year master plan after the FDA failed to obtain the mandatory EIA report — a violation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997.
The court’s decision followed the dismissal of multiple intra-court appeals filed by the FDA by a division bench comprising Justice Malik Waqar Haider Rawan and Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad.
Commissioner Anwar said the FDA must now ensure strict adherence to environmental and urban planning laws to restore public trust in civic governance. “The authority needs to comply fully with environmental regulations to move forward with a revised, legally compliant master plan,” he stated.
Discussing new initiatives, he announced plans to develop a vibrant food street at Minerva Club to promote Faisalabad as a “food-friendly and city-of-hearts.” He also shared that boundary areas of the district would be declared green zones under the upcoming master plan, with a complete ban on new housing colonies along the city’s outer limits. “The green cover will be preserved at all costs,” he added.
Taking notice of the shortage of qualified town planners within the FDA, the commissioner directed immediate recruitment of professionals with relevant urban planning qualifications. He clarified that architects could not head the directorates of town planning, emphasizing that the role of planners was to guide the city’s long-term development rather than approve commercial structures.
Highlighting a major environmental initiative, he revealed that the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Plant project — the first of its kind in Punjab — had been launched to treat wastewater for agricultural reuse and to help replenish underground water reserves.
The commissioner reiterated that the revised Faisalabad Master Plan would incorporate environmental safeguards and ensure compliance with national laws. “Urban development must go hand in hand with sustainability and transparency,” he said.
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