In a bid to boost urban greenery and improve public services, the Parks and Horticulture Authority raises fees, enforces plantation rules, and launches new sustainability initiatives.
Lahore: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has approved a major revision to its no-objection certificate (NOC) policy for housing societies, doubling the fee from PKR 50,000 to PKR 100,000 per kanal. The decision was finalized during the PHA’s 27th Board of Directors (BoD) meeting on Friday, chaired by BoD Chairman Ghazali Saleem Butt. Under the new guidelines, housing societies must plant at least two trees for every 10-marla plot and four trees for every one-kanal plot, reinforcing the city’s green infrastructure.
The meeting also approved an MoU with the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department, enabling PHA to maintain green spaces in hospitals in exchange for discounted medical services for its employees.
In sports development, five grounds will remain under Pakistan Cricket Board management, while proposals for auctioning 16 other PHA-controlled grounds were discussed. Additional decisions included purchasing a hydro seeder mulching machine, implementing a 10% hike in park booking rates, and launching the “Adopt-a-Park” CSR initiative.
The board also sanctioned a 10+10-year lease policy and confirmed that salaries for both regular and contractual employees will be disbursed by the first of each month.