KARACHI, Oct 26: The anomaly committee formed by the Sindh government to examine and suggest amendments in the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations-2002 (KB&TPR), on Saturday, recommended that setting up of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) stations be allowed on plots measuring 600 square yards and CNG cum petrol pumps be allowed on a 1000-square-yard plots.

It also suggested that CNG stations should also be allowed in residential areas provided the width of the road on which they are situated is at least 100-feet wide and the owner of the station has got the plot converted into a commercial one, strictly in accordance with the rules and regulations of the city government’s master plan department.

Stating this at a press conference at the KBCA’s conference room here on Saturday, chairman of the anomaly committee, Tariq Rasool, who is also the vice-chairman of the Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners (PCATP), said that the committee had also recommended that basement of a building could also be used for residential purpose, and car-parking had to be provided at the rate of 250 square feet per car, which meant there must be one car-parking lot for every apartment of square-feet.

About the three highrise corridors introduced at Sharea Faisal, M. A. Jinnah Road (from Mereweather Tower to Sir Aga Khan III Road-M A Jinnah Road traffic intersection) and I. I. Chundrigar Road, he said the committee had recommended the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for the buildings to be constructed in the highrise corridors should be increased up to 1:8 (one is to eight), provided adequate utility facilities are available and in the light of inputs furnished by the master plan department.

The committee, he said, had also recommended there should not be any restrictions on the height of buildings to be constructed on amenity plots, and industrial areas should get 10 per cent relaxation in the FAR subject to provision of recreational facilities for industrial workers.

The committee also suggested that the condition of arcade and footage of the buildings to be built in the old city area should be waived.

Replying to another question, Mr Tariq Rasool said that now no one would be allowed to use a floor for dual purpose and as such the owner/builder would have to use separate floors for residential and commercial purposes.

To another query, the committee’s coordinator and senior controller of buildings, Atique Baig, said that under the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations, the mezzanine floor and pent-house are now counted as separate floors.

Others present on the occasion included ABAD’s regional president Farooquzzaman and DCB Khwaja Badiuzzaman.