Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have formally launched a joint platform to bring climate, agriculture and water information together, aiming to help the province better protect farming communities from climate shocks and increasing pressure on water resources.
The Agriculture, Climate and Water Punjab Consortium, known as the ACWA Punjab Consortium, was formally established through a memorandum of understanding signed at its first meeting in Lahore.
The initiative brings together the Punjab Planning and Development Board, Agriculture Department, Irrigation Department, Environment Protection and Climate Change Department and Punjab Information Technology Board, with FAO providing technical assistance.
The idea is to replace information scattered across different government departments with a coordinated system where officials can access climate, crop and water data through a single platform.
The system is expected to support government planning, agricultural advice for farmers, water management and decisions on how resources should be used as climate-related risks become more serious.
The programme forms part of FAO’s broader Transforming the Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Water Management project, supported by the Green Climate Fund and co financed by the governments of Punjab and Sindh.
A major focus of the project is South Punjab, including Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan, where agriculture is highly dependent on weather and irrigation conditions.
Under the wider project, 24 automatic weather stations have already been installed ,15 in Punjab and nine in Sindh. Canal flow sensors, groundwater monitoring equipment and other systems have also been deployed to collect agricultural, climatic and water related information.
Information collected through these systems will be fed into the ACWA portal so that government departments can use a common source of information rather than relying on separate and fragmented datasets.
The consortium will also develop arrangements covering data sharing, secure storage, licensing and confidentiality. Participating departments will determine their responsibilities for supplying information and maintaining the system.
Authorities are also examining how the portal will be hosted and maintained after the current FAO supported project is completed, with the aim of creating a government-owned system that can continue operating over the longer term.
For Punjab’s agricultural sector, the initiative could become particularly important as farmers face increasingly unpredictable weather, changing rainfall patterns and pressure on irrigation and groundwater supplies.
By combining weather, water and crop information in one place, the government hopes to make earlier and better informed decisions that can reduce risks to crops and improve management of limited water resources.

Lahore : Riaz Hussain ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has intensified its crackdown on illegal commercial buildings, unauthorised commercial use of residential properties and commercial fee defaulters, carrying out a large scale operation across several parts of Lahore. Multiple illegal structures were demolished while a total of 81 properties were sealed during the operation.
The action was launched on the directions of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, with teams from the authority’s Town Planning Wing conducting operations in Jubilee Town, Raiwind Road, Canal Road, Gulshan e Ravi, Shadman, New Muslim Town, Poonch Road and Allama Iqbal Town.
According to the LDA, illegally constructed shops on residential Plot No. 395-D in Jubilee Town were demolished. Illegal constructions near the Ali Town Terminal on Raiwind Road were also razed.
The authority also carried out an operation near Ring Road on Raiwind Road, where an unauthorised signboard was removed and the relevant properties were sealed.
LDA teams sealed 66 properties over unauthorised commercial use of residential premises in areas including Canal Road, Gulshan e Ravi, Shah Jamal, New Muslim Town and Poonch Road.
In a separate recovery operation, another 15 properties were sealed in Allama Iqbal Town over outstanding commercial dues, taking the total number of sealed properties to 81.
Officials said the sealed properties included private schools, colleges, academies, halls, salons, cafés, restaurants and food outlets. Grocery stores, clinics, hardware shops, electrical stores, pharmacies, other retail outlets, car showrooms and offices were also among the properties affected by the enforcement drive.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Chief Town Planner-I Asad-uz-Zaman and Chief Town Planner-II Azhar Ali.
LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said indiscriminate action would continue across the LDA controlled area against illegal commercial buildings, unauthorised commercial use of residential properties and commercial fee defaulters.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Property marketing linked with Independence Day celebrations has become increasingly visible on social media in DHA Lahore, with real estate dealers and marketing pages using the Azadi Festival atmosphere to promote different property options.
Social media posts being circulated ahead of 14 August feature plots, houses, commercial properties and property files available in different parts of DHA Lahore.
The marketing campaigns combine Independence Day themes with property promotions in an effort to attract buyers and investors during a period of increased public activity and engagement on social media.
Real estate businesses regularly use major national occasions and festivals to run promotional campaigns, special offers and investment-focused marketing.
The current activity around DHA Lahore reflects a wider trend in which property dealers and developers link their marketing with major events to increase visibility and generate buyer interest.
For prospective buyers, however, promotional campaigns should not replace proper due diligence. Property ownership, approvals, location, development status, payment terms and other relevant documents should be independently verified before making any investment decision.
The Independence Day-linked marketing activity is expected to remain visible across property focused social media pages around 14 August as businesses compete for greater attention from potential buyers.