KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) official to place on record the project file on which Initial Environmental Assessment (IEE) report was issued for construction of a flyover and two underpasses in Clifton.

Justice Muneeb Akhtar, who headed a single bench of SHC, gave this direction while hearing two lawsuits against traffic improvement project allegedly being built without complying with the mandatory requirements of environmental protection laws and approval from the authorities concerned.

The judge directed Ashiq Ali Langah, director IEE Sepa, to remain in attendance on each and every hearing until he is exempted from appearance. The court asked him to bring along with him a project file on which IEE report was issued. The hearing of case was adjourned till April 24.

Meanwhile, the bench directed the counsel for Clifton Cantonment Board and Bahria Town to submit comments on lawsuit against project that is said to have posed a serious threat to the structure of 150-year-old temple in Clifton.

Vikash Kumar had filed lawsuit stating that there existed unrest among the Hindu community about the construction of project that had posed a serious threat to the foundation of 150-year-old Shri Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple.

Ground vibrations from excavation for flyover were close to the temple and could cause the collapse of this structure, he added. Temple is protected under Sindh Heritage Act 1994, therefore, no construction work in or around temple could be carried out.

He requested the court to restrain real estate concern from continuing the construction on a flyover and underpasses.—PPI