Vacant plots become garbage dumps, home to insects and reptiles: DHA

[LahoreEstate]

DHA fails to formulate effective solution
* Resident blames other locals, not society
* Spokesman says new policy to be issued soon


Text and Photos by Afnan Khan

LAHORE: The residents of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and the administration have failed to formulate an effective solution to the problems caused by vacant plots that have not been constructed on.

People living in houses that are built adjacent to empty plots face issues such as piles of garbage in the plots and the growth of weeds. The garbage and weeds create an unhygienic atmosphere attracting various insects and reptiles, such as snakes and scorpions. The empty plots also create fear among the residents as a number of incidents have been reported in which bodies have been dumped in the vacant plots.

The administration took a serious stand on the issue by asking the owners whose plots were situated in Phase I, II and III to construct them before January. The administration had claimed it would fine Rs 50,000 if any residential plot owner failed to comply with the deadline and Rs 100,000 to commercial plot owners.

However, the administration received several complaints and requests from members as most of them believed they should be allowed to treat their property as they please. Most plot owners requested for an extension in the deadline for a number of reasons, including non-availability of funds and lack of time to complete the job.

The administration even ‘ordered’ the residents to throw their garbage in a garbage can that they were to place outside their residences, making it easier to collect the garbage and keep the society free from unnecessary pollution. However, a number of residents still throw their garbage in empty plots.

Blame: A DHA resident, Dr Iftikhar, said the presence of garbage in empty plots was the residents’ fault and not the society’s. He said the steps taken by the administration had greatly reduced the presence of garbage in empty plots, but the problem still existed. He said the administration had purchased tractors and other machinery to level and maintain the empty plots, adding that they should not only provide the required machinery to the residents, but regularly send notices to them to keep their plots well-maintained.

Policy: DHA spokesman Tajamul Hussain Anjum said the administration had taken a number of measures - including the provision of garbage containers for the residents - to solve the issues resulting from vacant plots. He said the administration was still encouraging the residents to construct a house on their property as soon as possible, adding that the administration had, however, provided an extension due to peoples’ reservations. He said a policy regarding the extension of the deadline or the imposition of a fine would be announced soon, adding that garbage was rarely found in empty plots now. He said the administration was taking solid measures to reduce crime in the area.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...09_pg13_12