ISLAMABAD, March 20: The landless steering committee of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) was on Thursday informed that over 3,000 villages in the quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir fall in the hazardous zone.

The meeting of the committee held here with Deputy Chairman Erra Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmed in the chair was briefed about the progress and policy issues regarding high, moderate and low hazardous zones, issues regarding land settlement, housing grant criteria, housing tranches and deadlines for housing reconstruction in affected areas of NWFP and AJK.

The decisions of the steering committee will form basis of the hazardous land policy expected to be finalised by April 15.

Geological Survey of Pakistan and Engineering and Environmental Geology Division presented progress review of the survey of hazardous sites in quake hit areas with a focus on specified villages located in high hazardous zones of the 2005 earthquake in AJ&K and NWFP.

They presented Results of survey conducted in AJK in June 2007 and informed the session that work is in progress in 68 villages of NWFP according to the instructions of Erra. The meeting was informed that three teams of GSP experts are working in the field since March 12, 2008.

According to the results of a GSP survey conducted in AJK in June, 2007, total houses at risk in Jhelum valley are 1296; in Neelum valley 897 and 1120 are located in Muzaffarabad.

After the last steering committee meeting, Erra held detailed consultations with various stakeholders like SMBR, UN-Habitat and Geological Survey of Pakistan, as part of the development of hazardous land policy.

Certain policy issues have been identified during these consultations which are being presented along with the recommendations to the steering committee for necessary interventions.

UN-Habitat presented its report on the hazardous land policy in areas of AJK and NWFP with an objective to provide land as well as a house to earthquake affectees.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chairman ERRA, Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed welcomed the session of steering committee. He said that the victims who have constructed houses in the hazardous areas should be assisted to adopt mitigation measures. The Deputy Chairman ERRA said that the affected persons who insist on reconstructing their houses on the hazardous land will not be given housing compensation.

He said that if the state and provincial governments are willing to take the responsibility for land acquisition and development, Erra will have no objection to provide comprehensive support in the best interest of the affected population.

Meanwhile, the Erra signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Islamic Relief for the construction of eight Schools in earthquake hit areas of AJK. The Deputy Chairman Erra, Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed also attended the ceremony. The MoU envisage the construction of 8 Schools with an estimated cost of Rs. 41,552,953.