ISLAMABAD: A firefighting system is yet to be installed in the newly-opened citizen facilitation centre (CFC) in G-7 where property files of residents worth billions of rupees are kept for record.

The centre, established by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), is also where offices of the authority’s estate wing and Building Control Directorate are located. The directorate, without getting a no-objection certificates (NOC) from the Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), does not issue completion certificate to any building. However, the facilitation centre still does not have a proper fire fighting system to deal with a fire-related emergency. The centre has been established in G-7 near Sitara Market and Blue Area, where under one roof, citizens can get property transfers done.

A CDA official said that a partial system is in place in the basement of the building, however, there is need for setting up a complete system in the entire building. He said that a fire alarm system, smoke detectors and so on are yet to be installed in the entire building.

The official said that MCI’s disaster management directorate issues an NOC after carrying out an inspection of the building and ensuring that a fire fighting system is properly installed.

Another official said that fire-related incidents often take place in buildings of Islamabad, as the other day, a fire due to short circuit broke out in a plaza of Blue Area, damaging property and valuables.

He, however, said that CDA has backup record of property files as many directorates have digitised their systems.

“There is no need of worry as we have digitised our records, but yes, a fire fighting system should be installed,” said director of the facilitation centre.

When contacted, CDA’s spokesperson Syed Asif Raza Shah said that a basic system has been installed in the building. When asked about the standard of the fire fighting system, he said: “As I already mentioned, we have basic system, as far as proper state-of-the-art system is concerned, we are going to install it very soon after tendering process,” he said and added that in the upcoming Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting, a PC-I will be presented for approval in this regard.

He said the facilitation centre is a blessing for citizens as earlier they have to go different to offices of CDA for transfer of their property. “Now under one roof, all relevant offices are there to help citizens for smooth transfer of their property. Very soon, we will install a modern fire fighting system and the centre will also be expanded,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2022