ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has issued 340 notices to approved housing societies in zones II, IV and V for unauthorised construction, non-conforming use and other violations of building by-laws.

The notices have been served to 214 commercial buildings and 126 residential premises. CDA media coordinator Safdar Shah told Dawn that according to its regulations, the authority must give violators a fortnight to address violations.

“After that we will take action against the violators and the violations will be removed,” he said.

When asked, Mr Shah said a number of societies have converted amenity plots into commercial and residential plots.

“Every society is bound to allocate land for a graveyard, playgrounds, schools etc, but they have sold that land. We have decided to direct societies to approve their maps again, and those who fail to have their maps approved will have to face the consequences,” he said.

According to the statement it issued on Saturday, the CDA is exercising building control all over the city to ensure building and construction discipline in the capital city.

Implementation of building by-laws not only in the sectoral area but also in housing societies falling in capital’s territorial limits is being ensured.

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Saturday also launched a combined initiative to jumpstart the cleanliness drive in the capital, on which Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), CDA and ICT staff collaborated.

The drive includes sweeping to clean the city and fining littering. Staff from the relevant formations of the MCI are participating, while magistrates have been deployed to supervise cleanliness work.

In addition to the daily cleaning work, the special cleaning of roads, markets and markazes is being carried out. Machinery and staff have also been deployed to remove garbage heaps in open spaces and wooded areas and on greenbelts. Nullahs are also being cleaned so that water can flow smoothly during the monsoon.

Local residents have been asked to cooperate with the city departments.

The CDA, ICT and MCI also continued the anti-encroachment drive on Saturday, during which obstructions on roads, streets and to pedestrian movement, barbed wire and fencing around buildings, car sheds, parking space, security apparatus and gardens established or encroaching on greenbelts and open spaces were targeted.

Several encroachments obstructing pedestrian movement on state land were removed in G-6 by the enforcement directorate. Fences and grills, as well as security cabins built illegally in front of houses, were removed from street 31, 35, 36, 38 and 39 in G-6/2.

Fences, security cabins, bathrooms and other encroachments were also removed from street 1 and 3 in G-6/3, while a fence erected around 10 kanals of state land in street 4 in the same sector was dismantled. Two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a dog shed, a generator shed and a bird cage built illegally were also dismantled.

In its final public notice, the CDA had earlier warned residents to remove encroachments from pavements, road obstructions, fences and barbed wire, parking sheds, generators, security apparatus and gardens established on state land or face strict action.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2019