RAWALPINDI, Sept 24: The construction of high-rise plazas in commercial and residential localities continues unchecked, the lessons of the terrible earthquake that flattened northern Pakistan and Azad Kashmir on October 8, 2005, seem to have been forgotten by the town planners and the municipal authorities who are allowing such buildings to come up in violation of the rules that were framed after the tragedy.

Addition of unauthorised floors above the prescribed height limits that most owners of the so-called plazas have surreptitiously made in violation of building by-laws has rendered the multi-storey structures vulnerable and hazardous.

In Rawalpindi city, along with the construction of illegal plazas, the unauthorised construction of private schools and hospitals is also going on.

The owners of the buildings have not obtained the required ‘No objection certificates’ (NOCs) from the town municipal administration (TMA), Rawal Town, or the City district government, Rawalpindi.

These huge structures can be seen on the Sixth Road, Saidpur Road, Satellite Town, Murree Road and Bank Road. An owner who had got the NOC for building a four-storey plaza has added one or two additional floors to his building unlawfully.

Official sources said that the owner of a multi-billion plaza at the corner of Sixth Road has been given approval of constructing four floors. He, however, constructed an additional floor without getting approval from the concerned department.

Another plaza along Sixth Road has not reserved the required 15 feet setback area and has rather encroached upon 15 feet area of the nearby road.

A multi-storey building, recently built near Ojhri Camp on Murree Road has been granted NOC for constructing a basement and two floors but the owner has illegally constructed two more floors in excess of the approved height.

Sources in the Building Branch of TMA, Rawal Town, told Dawn that the owner of a private hospital near Haidri Chowk at Saidpur Road had illegally constructed a basement and two floors against the prescribed limit.

Even more common is the unchecked construction of unauthorised projections, balconies, porches and galleries in residential and commercial houses infringing the limits in the approved maps.

These illegally built structures have no car parking facility. As a result the service roads and side lanes particularly along Murree Road are freely being encroached upon causing frequent traffic jams.

The unauthorised construction of multi-story plazas not only deprives city government of taxes but also poses serious threat to human lives.

After the October 8 earthquake, some building codes were declared mandatory during the construction of buildings but in Rawalpindi these codes are yet to be implemented in any Town or locality of the city.

A private schools chain in the city has constructed its new campus on the Sixth Road for which TMA, Rawal Town, had granted NOC limiting construction to three storeys but the owners have illegally built a basement and two additional floors without seeking permission for the extension. The expanded campus building is now occupying the parking lots also.

When contacted Rawal Town Nazim Sheikh Rashid Shafique confirmed that majority of the plazas had illegally constructed additional floors and basements besides not leaving space for parking. He said that TMA Rawal Town would serve notices on the owners who had violated building rules.

A senior official in district administration told this reporter that 98 per cent private schools in residential areas were operating without commercialising their status.

When asked why the municipal authorities were not taking any action against the owners for violation of by-laws, the official said that the owners were influential people and had the backing of the city’s politicians. It shows that the department concerned is reluctant to take any action against the violators of building by-laws.