Islamabad: The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) in collaboration with WWF Pakistan has finalised plans for “Margallah Viewpoint” which will be opened to public for free and it is a project for the public on land inside Margallah Hills National Park.
The mega restaurants on the ridge have now been dismantled on the orders of the Supreme Court which upheld an earlier IHC landmark judgement because they were illegal and an encroachment on the protected area of the National Park, a news release said.
Phase 1 of the project has already started which is to green the existing terraces with indigenous trees and shrubs and build parking areas for visitors to the Ridge. The implementation committee for the project has now approved architects for creating the master plan for the project. The lead architect will be IWMB’s Board member Imrana Tiwana who will be working pro bono (no pay).
Work has also started on a Margallah Hills Information and Conservation Centre in close collaboration with WWF Pakistan which will be setting up the centre for the public. They will also be raising money for the eco restoration of the Ridge.
In the 2nd phase of the project (once the master plan and the Environmental Impact Assessment is completed) other interventions will be made which will include viewpoints and picnic spots for the public.
The project will be completed within a year’s time and will be led by IWMB itself with help from experts. The entire ridge and surrounding mountains will be re-wilded with indigenous trees and shrubs (which means repairing damaged ecosystems and restoring degraded landscapes).
