Society Audit Report
Annual Meetings Minutes
Managing Committee Meetings
Description of the Lay-out Plan of Model Town Society
The total area of the land that the Model Town Society, Limited has purchased for the location of the Model Town is 1,963 acres. The land is situated on the Grand Trunk road to Ferozepore at a distance of 5 ¾ miles from the Lahore District Courts and 3 miles from the Lahore Municipal Boundary. One side of the land touches the grand trunk road for a distance of full two miles. The Railway line to Karachi touches the and at one end. The nearest railway station is Kot Lakhpat, the distance of which from the land is about a mile. The Railway Authorities have kindly agreed to shift the station from its existing situation to a place which will be near the centre of gravity of the town and its distance from it will be only 2 furlongs. They are taking steps to acquire the land for the station which will be shifted to the new site as soon as the traffic justifies it.
The Lahore Canal passes close to the land at a distance of 11 mile from one end and only ½ mile from the other. The whole area is irrigated by canal water from the Ichhra Distributary. There is a Shisham plantation on 3rd of the whole area. Besides shisham trees there are also Euelyptus, Mulbery and trees of other varieties. Trees that come along the raod side or in compounds of houses and other public buildings and are found useful for purposes of shade will be kept standing and others that are useless or are not required will be cut down.
The Soil, on the whole is good. A few fruit trees, that already exist, like Malta oranges, apricots, apples, figs, &c, are looking quite healthy and doing very well. Vegetables and flowers that have been grown near the Best-house, inside and land, have also grown quite well.
The sub-soil Water is quite nice and sweet and is obtainable at a depth of 16 to 20 feet below ground level. The land is fairly level and has a gentle slope towards the south west, quite enough for the water to flow down freely in that direction. Jivanhana, Bhabra, Kot Lakhpat and Pindi villages are situated within ½ mile of the land ; and Ajudhyapur and Amar Sidhu at a distance of one mile. The town of Ichhra is just over two miles and Lahore Cantonment about 3 miles by the metalled road. Bhaghbanpura and the famous shalamar gardens can be approached by a nice drive, 6 miles of which runs along the bank of the Lahore Canal. It is proposed to connect the Model Town with Lahore by a Tramway which will run Nila Gumbaz or old Anarkali.
The Site:
For the convenience of personal living in different parts of the town the public institutions, with which one comes into direct contact, have, as far as possible, been located in the middle of the town.
In the centre of the town there will be an artificial Hill 50 feet high and 200 feet in diameter at the top. Reservoir for the storage of drinking water for the town will be placed on the top f the hill and being covered with earth the water in the reservoir will remain col. Evergreen plants and flowers will grow on the Hill. Two winding paths will lead up to the top of the hill where there will be a 25 feet wide promenade, round the reservoir, with four pavilions to provide shade and shelter on the top of the hill. A few springs from the hill side will feed the plants and provide water for couple of pools, containing gold fish. Inside the hill there will be a few rooms which could be turned into a Cave Restaurant. These rooms will be well-ventilated and will lighted and to keep them damp proof, and proof against vermin, will be made of ferro concrete or other impermeable substance. Round the hill there will be Lake which will b 100 feet wife and 3rd of a mile in length. The water in the lake will be 4 to 5 feet deep, so that it will be quite enough for boating but not enough for a man to drown in. Along the outer bank of the lake there will be small size shady trees with leaves and flowers like that of the Amaltas-overhanging the water, looking pretty and providing shade to persons in canoes and gondolas. The banks of the lake will be higher than ______ surrounding land and the water from it will flow out through siphon _______ which will draw water from the bottom of the lake and so will keep entire water in the lake fresh and in circulation. (A vertical section of hill and of the lake, on a large scale, is shown at the bottom of the plan).
Round the lake threw will be lawns and flowers gardens and covering them will be placed public institutions.
- There will be a good and uptodate Boy’s School and Girl’s School ; and a Nursery where children under 6 years of age will be kept, fed and looked after during the day by trained nurses.
- There will be two Clubs for gentlemen, one of an expensive type and the other for economical persons.
- There will also be a ladies club which will be situated next to the children’s nursery.
- There will be one big Market and Stores.
- There will be 24 groups of 4 shops each scattered all over the town in the middle of the residential area. These shops will supply essential everyday necessaries of life to persons living in their neighborhood and the stores and market will deal in articles that one boys occasionally.
- There will be a Hotel, and next to it will be a Baratghar-a place for accommodation of marriage parties where durrias, buntings, utensils and other articles usually needed at a marriage time will be stored and given out at a reasonable hire.
Sites heve been reserved for Town Hall Library, Hospital, Bank, Post and Telegraph office, Police and Fire Station, Cinema and Theatre. There will also be two Swimming Tanks with separate arrangement for ladies.
For places of Worship sites have been reserved in the centers of the eight squares which are situated on an octagonal road running through the middle of the residential area. Each place of worship will be surrounded by lawns and will be visible and approachable from 5 different roads. Residential Area:
In the main town accommodation has been provided for Bungalw houses of three types. The “A” class houses will have 6 kanals of land each and their number will be 664, the “B” class will have 4 kanals of land each and their number will be 360, the “C” class with 2 kanals of land each will be 320. Each house will be detached. The houses have been so arranged that all the three classes have been spread all over the town in an harmonious manner. This will enable rich and poor relations and friends to live as neighbors. Three Sub-Colonies for Workman have been provide outside the main town. This will enable the workmen to live a social life of their own and yet be near their business. For their convenience shops have been provided in the centre of each sub-colony.
Other Works:
A fruit garden almost 6 miles in length and some 350 feet in width will encircle the main town. The fruit garden will be connected with the central garden by 4 strips of lawns which could be used as playground for children. Along the fruit garden there will be a nice 75 feet wide road which will have a 15 feet wide footpath on the garden side. This footpath will be unbroken fro long distances and will have canal running on its garden side. It will be an ideal footpath for persons who are fond of waling. (The sections of roads of different width are shown separately on the plan in the top right hand corner).
Sites have been reserved for an Orphonage and a Poor House. The inhabitants of the town will be expected to give their charities to these, and the benefit of the really deserving beggars and orphans and to prevent street begging in the town. Two places have provided to serve as garage and stables for hackney carriage. Places have been reserved for a Vegetable Garden, a Dairy Farm, a Poultry Yard and a Slaughter House. There will be water carriage system of drainage and the Sewage Farm has been kept in the southern portion away from the direction of the prevailing winds. The sewage works have been located in the extreme corner quite half a mile away from the residential portion to the town.
The Electric Power House and the factories have been given sites near the Railway line.
The Hindu cremation ground is kept near the main canal, the Mohammad burial ground adjoins the ancient shrine of Pir Behram Shah , and site is reserved for a Christian cemetery.
KHEM CHAND,
Secretary, Model Town Society Ltd.
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