RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has decided to request the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration for help to remove encroachments from 18 acres in Jhangi Syedan owned by the municipal corporation.

The issue of encroachments on prime land of the RMC at Jhangi Syedan and along Soan River was brought to the notice of Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem who directed RMC Chief Executive Officer Shafqat Raza to vacate the land worth billions of rupees.

A senior official told Dawn that RMC has formed a team to inspect the site and that it will request the ICT administration to help get the land vacated as Jhangi Syedan falls in Islamabad.

The 18 acres were used as a landfill site by the RMC from 1976 to 1985. However, the landfill was moved to near the Benazir Bhutto International Airport and Koral Chowk in 1985, which was used till 2006.

After objections from the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency, RMC moved the site to Losar, near Chak Beli Road. The function of lifting solid waste was given to the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company in 2014.

“The land in Jhangi Syedan was laying vacant but people started constructing on it after the mushroom growth of housing societies and it was feared that all the land will be encroached on in a few years,” the official said.

He said many proposals have been made for the municipal corporation to construct a housing society on the land and to utilise the money for upgrading civic services in the city areas.

He added that the mayor had asked RMC officials to prepare a report and also wrote to the ICT administration, seeking its help in getting the land vacated.

The official said during the recent demarcation of Islamabad areas, the RMC had obtained the land records from the revenue department.

Records are available from 1942 to 2006 which show the land was owned by the RMC.

He said there were reports that people had started construction in the area and that those responsible were warned of legal action.

Mayor Naseem told Dawn the RMC officials had been asked to make all efforts to get the encroachments removed from the land as soon as possible.

He said he had formed a team to prepare a report on the matter.

“RMC land near Soan River is also encroached on and we will not let state land be occupied illegally,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018