Encroachments multiplying due to CDA’s apathy

[Salman]

Wednesday, August 28, 2013 - Islamabad—Islamabad once considered being the most green and beautiful city of Pakistan is now stained with increasing encroachments due to the greed of the business community backed by the indifferent attitude of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

Trading community of the federal capital has become increasingly influential transforming their associations into a mafia in last few years while the private educational institutions now commonly called ‘education mafia’ are following the suit.

CDA, the civic body responsible for the development and upkeep of the city, seems impotent or compromised as the encroachments have become a great menace.

Many top officials have taken over as city father in last few decades and claimed to overcome the nuisance of encroachments in the city but to no avail.

Over the last many years some chairmen in the office took up the issue of encroachments only in the markets and bazaars as a challenge and claimed that they would wipe away encroachers and regain the verandas and footpaths back for the public to walk on but result disappointed many.

After the departure of every Chairman of the CDA, the city ended up with more encroachments. Just take an example of G-8 Markaz. All the claims of the CDA chairman to end corruption and other unlawful activities have proven mere lip service as car showrooms mafia has encroached upon all the parking places in G-8 Markaz with the connivance of the civic body officials.

The owners of the car showrooms have parked the vehicles for sale in parking lots of G-8 Markaz and the visitors have to park their vehicles on roadside at the mercy of the car-lifters. This mafia has not even left enough space for pedestrians as footpaths around the Markaz are also encroached by them but the CDA authorities are not taking any action to vacate the parking lots.

Encroachments by private schools in residential areas has also make life difficult not just for residents but also inconvenience commuters especially during rush hours.

The schools have occupied government land by installing gates and sometimes creating gardens or parking lots. Placing concrete blocks in front of institutes for security reasons hampers the flow of traffic.

The number of private schools has increased in recent years as investors consider them a profitable business and many owners prefer to hire houses to save money.

A number of private schools are operating within houses and are not even registered with the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority which cannot keep a check.

Let take an example of a known school in the G-8 Markaz. Encouraged by the open violation of law and the rights of masses, Roots School has also started encroaching on government’s land.

The school is owned by Waleed Mushtaq who is believed to be connected with the top officials of the civic agency.

Has not only occupied a lot of area including half of the road in front so that it can milk parents on the pretext of security arrangements but it has also grabbed a lot of area at the back of the school.

It is interesting to note that the area grabbed by the school illegally is far more than its own building where the administration has established canteens, tennis courts etc.

Residents of the G-8 Markaz doubt that CDA would ever be able to ask owners of the Roots School about their conduct let alone taking any action against them under the provisions of the law.

Most of those contacted by Pakistan Observer believed that officers of the civic authority were receiving thousands of rupees from the car showroom mafia and backing the unlawful activity.

The CDA chairman could resolve the matter if he takes interest in the issue, they added.

In a survey, majority of the respondents said that the current chairman of the CDA will follow suit of his predecessors as there were more encroachments in markets, in greenbelts and all over the ICT after his tenure.

The next chairman, as a ritual, will also announce that eliminating encroachment and cleanliness will be his top priority.