FAISALABAD, Dec 13: People of Faisalabad will soon have a food street and massive plantation on the Canal Road in collaboration with the Parks and Horticulture Authority, Lahore. Both projects have been approved in a meeting between local industrialists and the district government.

The Faisalabad Development Trust (FDT), an entity comprising entrepreneurs and government officials, met on Thursday night and discussed the ideas. FDT Chairman Shaiq Javed said they would extend cooperation to set up a food street around Hockey Stadium and promised to consider participating in the Canal Road greenbelt development and renovation project.

He stressed the need for devising a comprehensive administrative system for sustainability of these projects.

Umer Nazar Shah, a trustee of the FDT, said traditional foods of Faisalabad and Lahore would be provided at the food street in a ‘family environment’. He said people of Faisalabad had limited places for entertainment and the food street would be a great place for them.

Commissioner Muhammad Akram Javed said DCO Noorul Ameen Mengal had taken a number of initiatives to make Faisalabad a beautiful city under a master plan and the proposed development and welfare projects could only be completed with the cooperation of local industrialists under public-private partnership.

Explaining the details of various projects, the DCO said greenbelts under different themes were being developed and renovated 12km on both sides of the Canal Road from Gatwala to Abdullapur Chowk at approximately Rs40 million for which comprehensive planning had been sought from experts of PHA Lahore.

He said a kidney centre was also being established at DHQ Hospital to provide advanced medical facilities to patients of kidney and urinary diseases.

He said a lithotripsy machine was required for the centre that would cost about Rs45 million, while 20 dialysis machines would be provided by the city district government.

He said a Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (Tepa) office had been established near FDA Complex, while consultancy had also been sought to introduce Faisalabad Parking Company to address parking issues in the city.

PHA Lahore MD Shakeel apprised the participants about proposed renovation and development plan of greenbelts on the same road.

CPO Dr Haider Ashraf informed the participants about the idea of establishment of Combined Police Hospital to provide quality medical treatment facilities to police employees and their families as well as citizens.

He claimed the project would be the first in Pakistan to be completed by the Faisalabad police.