September 04, 2006	Monday	Sha'aban 10, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: The country’s most popular hill resort Murree is turning into a concrete jungle and a ‘death trap’ for tourists with almost 100 old and new dangerous buildings that were affected by a series of tremors after October 8, 2005, and can collapse anytime, sources in Town Municipal Administration (TMA) and locals told Dawn on Sunday.

Over half a million tourists who visit Murree each year have become vulnerable to any mishap as they are compelled to live in hotels established in weak structures.

On the other hand, the TMA Murree has completely failed to protect the life of locals as well the tourists, the sources said.

They said four major incidents of building collapse had taken place at the hill resort in the last decade in which over one dozen people lost their lives. The latest one is the collapse of Samrah Apartments this week which claimed the lives of three people.

“Over 300 people were living in Samrah Apartments a month ago when the tourist season was on its peak. One can imagine how bigger a disaster it would have been if the building had caved in a month ago,” they said.

The sources said three of the incidents took place in last five years.

Three people had died when a hotel at the back side of Kutchery collapsed in 1996. Similarly, two people lost their lives when Abbasi Hotel on the Mall caved in five years ago.

The most horrible incident took place three years ago when a restaurant and a shop collapsed killing three people on the spot.

The sources said the TMA Murree had completely failed to take any step to demolish old and dangerous buildings and check the standard of construction in new cases.

The abolition of Murree Kahuta Development Authority (MKDA) under devolution plan is stated to be a big setback to quality construction work in new buildings and maintenance of the old ones.

“During the existence of MKDA, there was a check on new constructions and special campaigns were launched to analyse the strength of old structures. Unfortunately, no such efforts are being made these days,” a local of the area Haji Abdul Hafeez said.

He said earlier the builders were bound to get No Objection Certificate (NOC) from eight different departments which ensured quality construction.

“Now builders use money and influence to get approved their faulty plans and substandard constructions,” he added.

Majority of new buildings, he said, were being constructed without any approved plan and required parameters.

“The digging of roadside land for new buildings caused seepage in the foundations of old buildings making them weak,” he said.

Mr Hafeez said local leaders of the ruling coalition and senior bureaucrats in Murree were engaged in constructing new roads only to erect their name plates, while the damaged roads and streets were being ignored causing erosion of land.

Some other people suggested that all pre-partition buildings in Murree should immediately be demolished and new construction done in accordance with the seismic conditions and environment of the area.