Rawalpindi: Saving zones III and IV from haphazard development: PM sends summary

[LahoreEstate]

By Fazal Sher

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has forwarded the ICT Zoning Regulations [amended] 1992 to the Law Division for approval to save the zones III and IV from haphazard development.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had sent the amended regulations to the prime minister some two weeks ago for approval. The Law Division will either approve the amended regulations or suggest some changes and send it back to the authority, a senior official of the authority confided to Daily Times on Monday.

The official said that the failure of the authority to implement the ICT Zoning Regulations 1992 encouraged haphazard development in Zone-III and Zone-IV. Under the zoning regulations, no construction activity could be resumed in both the zones to preserve their greenery and underground water resources.

Zone-III consists of Margalla Hills, the forest area between the hills and Murree Road and other protected ranges. Zone-IV falls between Murree Road and Lehtrar Road in the northeast within the territorial limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The official said that the authority could acquire only 10 percent of the 8,000 acres of Zone-III and 12,000 acres of the 70,000 acres of Zone-IV resulting in unplanned housing developments like Kot Hathial, Chauntra, Shah Allah Ditta and informal slums in Zone-III and Bhara Kahu, Farash, Khanna, Koral, Bani Gala and Tarlai etc in Zone-IV.

According to an estimate, over 200 houses are being built in Zone-IV on a daily basis without any sewerage and drainage system. It is pertinent to mention here that Zone-I spans 23,000 acres as against the Zone-IV that spans 70,000 acres.

The official said that an immediate ‘reaction planning’ was required in both the zones to prevent the situation from going beyond the authority’s control. If the prime minister approved the proposed amendments to the regulations, it would be easy for the authority to control the irregular construction activity, he said.

The official said that with minor changes in the regulations, not only the authority could earn huge revenue, but also the private owners could receive better price for their lands. “If the planned construction activities in Zone-IV were not regularized timely, it is going to become an independent city much bigger than the present day Islamabad and unplanned like Rawalpindi,” the official feared.

He said the drinking water resources of the capital city like Rawal Lake, Chirah, Simly and Kirpa dams and fresh water streams like Korang, Sowan and others falling in both the zones were at stake due to the haphazard development there.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...010_pg11_1