RAWALPINDI, July 3: The Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) has declared more than 250 buildings dangerous in 46 union councils of the city.

As the monsoon rains have hit the city, it wants the residents of these buildings to vacate them but they have refused, terming the notices issued by the RTMA an annual routine exercise. The municipal administration has also asked the owners to “repair” these buildings.

According to the breakdown, the dangerous buildings are located in Bohar Bazaar, Naya Mohallah, Lunda Bazaar, New Sarafa Bazaar, Chittian Hattian, Bhabara Bazaar, Nishtarabad, Chachi Mohallah, Alam Khan Road, Mohallah Niarian, Mohallah Waris Khan, Shah Chan Bazaar, Said Puri Gate, Jhangi Mohallah, Shah Chan Chiragh Mohallah, Dhakki Mohallah, Talwaran Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Peshawari Gali, Purana Qila, Raja Bazaar, College Road, Rani Bazaar and Chowk Bansanwala.

People with modest means of earnings mostly live in these buildings. They want “alternative accommodation” before vacating the buildings.

“We have issued notices to owners and the people living in them. We have asked them to vacate or repair the buildings,” Saifur Anwar Jappa, Rawal Town administrator, told Dawn .

He said action would be taken against “only those buildings which were in a bad condition”. Within a week, he added action against “10 top dangerous buildings” in Bhabhara Bazaar, Alam Khan Road, Shah Chan Chiragh and other parts of the city will be initiated.

But Nadeem Rehman, a resident of Shah Chan Chiragh, said he had no option but to live in the building declared dangerous. “I have no money to repair it or shift to another place on rent.”

He had been living in the building for the last 30 years. “If the government thinks it is a dangerous place to live, it should provide loan for repairing it.”

For Riaz Ali, a resident of Chittian Hattian, every year ahead of monsoon the local administration routinely comes up with the list of dangerous buildings. “But it never comes up with any solution.” He urged the government to give financial help to those who are living in dangerous buildings.

But the municipal's administrator made it clear that the owners would not get any financial help. “It is not our function to provide loans.” He said the notices were to “sensitise the people living in these buildings and warn them about the danger”.

MPA Sheharyar Riaz told Dawn it was difficult for the government to provide funds to the people for repairing their houses. But still he added he would discuss with the provincial government to provide soft loans for this purpose.

He said the government had provided funds for repairing century-old buildings of educational institutes like Government Shimla High School in Sabzi Mandi.