The security concerns and shifting of Defence Complex (General Headquarter) to Islamabad from Rawalpindi has forced the CDA to shelve 58 million dollars chair-lift project for the fourth time in less than a decade, sources told Business Recorder on Thursday. Originally, work on this project was started in 1994 but was abandoned mainly due to risks, sources added.
Senior official of the CDA told this correspondent that the planning wing of the authority had earlier appointed consultants to assess the technical and financial viability of the chair-lift project, but the federal government did not agree with the CDA to install the chair-lift at Margalla hills where most of the sensitive installations are located including Presidency, Prime Minister House, Defence Complex and many other strategic buildings.
In spite of the federal government and security agencies disagreement, civic agency insisted on redesigning the chair-lift project.
Millions of rupees have so far been spent over the preparations of terms of references (ToRs) and advertisements in the newspapers.
Capital development authority (CDA) had also appointed consultants to prepare a feasibility report for undertaking the 58 million dollars chair-lift project.
CDA planning wing has proposed that chair-lift would be installed between the Children Park F-8/2 Margalla Hills and Makhiala Peak Pir Sohawa. Approximately 50 to 60 cable cars were to be installed in the area to cover about 2.5 kilometre span.
The civic body had fixed Rs 0.5 million cost of hiring consultants. Besides several security risks, the environmental impact is also one the major reason to abandon the project, sources said.
It is worth mentioning that CDA had earlier dropped the proposal regarding the installation of chair-lift to connect Shakkarparian Zero Point and Rawal Lake keeping in view the technical and commercial viability of the project.
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