Land-use violation: Encroachments in slums pose security risk, claim reports

Civic agency’s Katchi Abadi Cell directed to conduct survey to list violations

ISLAMABAD: The civic agency baboos have come up with the same flimsy report that encroachments within the recognised katchi abadis ‘pose security threat’ creating ground for a possible action against them.

Vigilance reports compiled by the civic agency have hinted towards a possible action against “encroachments within the recognised slums”.

Citing these reports, the CDA’s Enforcement Wing has asked the authority’s Katchi Abadi Cell (KAC) to look into the matter at the earliest.

A recent correspondence between both the directorates, suggests that in some cases, even multi-storey plazas have been erected by owners on plots given to them in recognised informal settlements in violation of the law.

Out of the nearly 48 slums across the capital, the civic agency only recognises 10.

Under the policy on recognised slums, the authority had approved upgradation of six slums at their existing site — ‘Shopper Colony’ in G-7/1, ‘66 Quarters’ in G-7/2, ‘48 Quarters’ in G-7/3-2, France Colony in F-7/4, ‘100 Quarters’ in F-6/2, and Hansa Colony in G-8/1.

Meanwhile, the CDA had planned to relocate the residents of four recognised slums — Dhoke Najju, Essa Nagri, Haq Bahu and Muslim Colony — to Farash Town.

Vigilance reports reveal that these recognised slums are currently under heavy constructions, and multi-storey buildings have been on the rise. The so-called allottees at these legal slums have been becoming owners of larger dwellings and houses, the letter reads.

After carrying out illegal constructions, letter says, owners have sublet their houses and identities of those tenants were not known to CDA or law enforcement agencies.

“These developments are alarming … and require immediate action to avoid possible terrorist activities, man-made or natural disasters,” the letter reads.

Enforcement wing has also asked the cell to immediately cancel ownership of land of all those owners who violated land-use norms at their plots besides launching of cases with the police, demolition of all such illegal constructions, and disaster-risk assessments of the buildings.

The directorate is of the view that the buildings were erected without following building codes and could be vulnerable to any untoward incident.

The enforcement wing has extended all out support to the cell, in case it intends to follow the procedures prior to possible action against encroachers in the legal slums.

The CDA Spokesperson, Ramzan Sajid, told The Express Tribune that the enforcement wing had written letter in the light of findings of the vigilance reports. He said that the issue of increasing number of encroachments and construction of multi-storey structures had recently been brought to the notice of the top management of the authority.

Sajid said that the cell had been directed to carry out a proper survey to ascertain the exact volume of violations in the recognised slums.

He said that suitable action would be taken upon receipt of survey reports.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2016.