ISLAMABAD: Most housing societies in the federal capital are not only violating the by-laws of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), but have also converted land allocated for civic amenities into residential and commercial units worth millions of rupees.

According to a CDA report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a case related to the violation of by-laws in private housing societies, it was found that a majority of such ventures had converted land reserved for graveyards, parks, healthcare facilities and even educational institutions, into commercial and residential plots.

These housing societies include Bahria Town, Bahria Garden City, Gulberg Town, Multi Gardens, National Police Foundation, Islamabad Gardens, Tele Gardens, Engineering Housing Scheme, Zaraj Housing, Jeddah Town, Khayaban-i-Kashmir, Pakistan Navy Farms and the Workers Welfare Fund Labour Colony.

The report revealed that in Jeddah Town Phase-I, land meant for a park and sewerage treatment plant had been converted into a marriage hall, while the site approved for the graveyard was converted into residential plots. Some residential plots have even been utilised as commercial units.

CDA report before IHC claims private housing ventures have converted green areas into commercial plots

Similarly in Bahria Town Phase III, 69 kanals of green area and a graveyard site had been allocated to a commercial plaza.

In Bahria Town Phase VII, there is no graveyard, even though it is provided for in the approved layout plan. Furthermore, the green area, a park site and a playground have been partially converted into residential plots.

In Bahria Garden City, the report said that two graveyards sites measuring 35 and 30 kanals had been utilised for plots.

In Multi Gardens in sectors A-17 and B-17 of the Multi Professional Cooperative Housing Society (MPCHS), the housing society has converted a 15-kanal school plot into residential units.

MPCHS and T&T Employees Cooperative Housing Society made a number of violations in Tele Gardens, including the conversion of parks, playgrounds and educational plots into residential and commercial plots.

In Gulberg Town, the civic agency pointed out that the management had utilising land reserved for a park and a mosque for the storage of goods.

The report said that land meant for schools, parks, grid stations, hospitals and other amenities had not even been developed yet.

In the WWF Labor Colony, two parks were converted into residential plots, the report claimed.

As per the report, CDA approved the development of agro-farms of 20 kanals each at Pakistan Navy Farms. However, the management of the society converted these into 4-kanal plots without obtaining approval from the civic agency.

The report also claimed that the management had reduced the size of its graveyard and converted the space into another agro-farm plot.

The report pointed out that Khayban-i-Kashmir in sector G-15 made a number of violations and in addition to converting land meant for primary, secondary schools and parks, and had even created plots on top of a drain.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2017