The Punjab government has officially decided that all upcoming residential projects in the city must ditch the old-fashioned, tangled mess of overhead power lines in favor of mandatory underground electrical systems.
The decision came down after a high-level huddle of the Energy Department’s Steering Committee, led by Provincial Energy Minister Faisal Ayub Khokhar. Instead of the usual “spider-web” of cables, new developments will now have to hide their infrastructure beneath the surface.
The government has also tasked LESCO (Lahore Electric Supply Company) with a massive cleanup operation. This includes straightening up those leaning poles that look like they might fall over any minute and organizing meters into proper metal frames so they are not just dangling off walls.
Minister Khokhar has ordered that the work begin on Lahore’s busiest main roads before moving into the crowded markets and commercial hubs.
According to LESCO officials, they have already surveyed 22 major markets and identified 33 key roads that are in dire need of a facelift.
Meanwhile, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is already busy underground. They have started laying down cable trays and communication networks to ensure that internet and phone wires don’t end up cluttering the poles once the electricity is sorted out.
