Illegal picnic spots torn down in Shahdara

Mayor says any construction in the area is illegal, against SC orders

ISLAMABAD: Picnic spots sprouting up along the natural streams and on foothills of Margallas will be demolished to preserve the natural beauty of the area.

This was stated by Islamabad Mayor and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Shiekh Anser Aziz while visiting Shahdara.

The local government in the capital has come down hard on illegal picnic spots constructed in the hills, demolishing several sheds, including concrete structures, which had been erected in the protected valley at the foot of the Margalla Hills.



Aziz said that constructions in Zone –III of Islamabad were not only illegal but were a sheer violation of orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan which prohibited all types of construction in the area.

Zone-III of the capital primarily consists of the Margalla Hills and the National Park. Parts of the Rawal Lake also fall in the zone.

The mayor, during his visit to Shahdara, asked CDA’s Land director to demarcate Shahdara so that state property, particularly the lush green and dense forest can be protected.



He also directed the Environment Wing to establish permanent pickets in the hilly area to stop people from chopping down trees in the area.

He vowed that no illegal construction would be allowed in the area.

During his visit, Aziz also met with residents of the area and listened to their problems.

He promised that CDA’s action against illegal construction would not affect the indigenous population.

Aziz also visited the Shadarah Water Supply and directed the concerned formations to control water pollution in the area.

A day before the mayor visited the area, the enforcement directorate of CDA had demolished picnic points in Shahdara, after serving due notices to owners of these illegal sheds.



Landscaping equipment

The environment wing of IMC will get the latest landscaping equipment to beautify the capital, the mayor said.

He was talking to the IMC officials as he handed over equipment to the wing at the F-9 Park.

The mayor noted that manually cutting swathes of grass, maintaining hedges and controlling bushes and weeds were becoming more and more difficult.

In this regards, the need for electronic and motorised landscaping equipment such as mowers, hedge cutters and weeders had become crucial, the mayor said.

“The IMC wants to make Islamabad one the greenest and most beautiful capitals of the world,” Aziz said.

Later, the environment wing staged a demonstration of the newly-acquired equipment which included 100 grass-cutting tools for tractors, 15 tools cleaning lawns and three tractor-lawnmowers.

Moreover, the wing has been provided with an automated lawnmower, six chainsaws, eight hedge cutters, six line tillers, 150 bush cutters with 52cc engines, and 40 bush cutters with 43cc engines.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2017.