LAHORE: On August 1, Colonel (retired) Abid Latif, director of public relations at the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), proudly declared in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter) that his latest project was nothing short of a “piece of heaven” on earth. That so-called “heaven” is Chahar Bagh, a luxury housing development sprawling along the banks of the river Ravi. Now 70% complete, it promises a mix of villas, towering skyscrapers, mid-rise apartments, and high-end condominiums.
While one-kanal homes in Chahar Bagh are priced at Rs24 million, according to RUDA’s website. The development also boasts futuristic perks like deliveries via drones and quadcopters to residents. But Chahar Bagh is just the beginning.
The Punjab government has far grander ambitions: to create the world’s largest riverfront city on the outskirts of Lahore and Sheikhupura. Covering an enormous 110,000 acres, the envisioned metropolis would house over 10 million people and feature medical complexes, sports arenas, entertainment hubs, government offices, and even an international airport. In 2020, the Punjab government established an exclusive development authority, called the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), to oversee the new mega-city’s development.
But beneath the allure of luxury homes and shimmering skyscrapers, a harsh reality is taking shape: the sacrifice of fertile farmland. A 2021 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, prepared for RUDA, disclosed that an o.
