Permits of all buildings without utility providers’ NOCs cancelled
Projects where construction work has not been started affected by SBCA notification
PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI:
Keeping with the directives of the Supreme Court-appointed judicial commission on water, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) issued a notification on Tuesday cancelling approval of all building plans without no objection certificates (NOCs) from utility providers.
According to the notification, the commission passed orders to cancel or withdraw approval of building plans or NOCs of all public sale projects, including multi-storey buildings and housing schemes, where construction work has not been started yet.
If the owners, builders or developers of such buildings have not submitted NOCs from utility providers such as the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), K-Electric and Sui Southern Gas Company, their building plans must be cancelled.
For this purpose a public notice has been published in all leading newspapers. “All town directors, design directors and regional directors are hereby directed that after the expiry of specified time, all such approvals/NOCs where utility NOCs by utility agencies are not received should be immediately cancelled,” it reads.
Remnants of time: Pre-partition buildings in dilapidated state
At town level, a physical survey has been ordered of all ongoing projects within seven days. “Building maps of those buildings without NOCs from utility agencies should be considered cancelled from now,” said the SBCA director-general, adding that all builders should immediately seek NOCs from utility agencies.
The judicial commission ordered the authorities to stop approving plans of housing schemes and building projects throughout Sindh that have not been issued NOCs by the civic agencies concerned in April.
Apex court permits construction of six-floor buildings in Sindh
“This order will extend to all the housing schemes and buildings where work hasn’t started yet,” reads the order issued by the commission’s head, Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, following a hearing in Karachi. “In the absence of certificates, all these schemes shall be cancelled and permissions, if granted, shall be withdrawn,” the order reads.
Confusion
After the notification, confusion has abounded among builders, according to Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Chairperson Arif Yousuf Jeewa. K-Electric and the Sui Southern Gas Company will issue the NOCs, he said. “Our concerns are about the KWSB,” he explained, adding that the water commission has already barred the water board from issuing NOCs for buildings exceeding ground-plus-one. “Due to this conflict, we will now go to the water commission,” he said.
SC upholds ban on construction of high-rise buildings in Sindh
Who benefitted earlier
When approvals were handed out for high-rise buildings in Karachi in the past, a lot of departments minted money. The real losers were the residents of these buildings who are now facing water shortages and poor sanitation.
There was no department that did not benefit from the kickbacks. The KWSB issued illegal approvals and provided water and sewerage line connections to such buildings. The cantonment boards changed the use of land to allow skyscrapers. Several politicians associated with construction businesses secured profitable contracts.
But when the buildings began filling up, the real problems started. “There was a war between the KWSB, SBCA and cantonments,” said a senior KWSB official requesting anonymity. “Unfortunately, the minister for both the KWSB and SBCA is the same.”
Since 2012, the water board has not received any betterment charges from the SBCA, the official complained. However, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s city council recently passed a resolution that clearly states that ‘under the change of land use and master planning by-laws 2003’, the KWSB must get 20 per cent share of the approval of change of land fees.
Keeping with the directives of the Supreme Court-appointed judicial commission on water, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) issued a notification on Tuesday cancelling approval of all building plans without no objection certificates (NOCs) from utility providers.
According to the notification, the commission passed orders to cancel or withdraw approval of building plans or NOCs of all public sale projects, including multi-storey buildings and housing schemes, where construction work has not been started yet.
If the owners, builders or developers of such buildings have not submitted NOCs from utility providers such as the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), K-Electric and Sui Southern Gas Company, their building plans must be cancelled.
For this purpose a public notice has been published in all leading newspapers. “All town directors, design directors and regional directors are hereby directed that after the expiry of specified time, all such approvals/NOCs where utility NOCs by utility agencies are not received should be immediately cancelled,” it reads.
Remnants of time: Pre-partition buildings in dilapidated state
At town level, a physical survey has been ordered of all ongoing projects within seven days. “Building maps of those buildings without NOCs from utility agencies should be considered cancelled from now,” said the SBCA director-general, adding that all builders should immediately seek NOCs from utility agencies.
The judicial commission ordered the authorities to stop approving plans of housing schemes and building projects throughout Sindh that have not been issued NOCs by the civic agencies concerned in April.
Apex court permits construction of six-floor buildings in Sindh
“This order will extend to all the housing schemes and buildings where work hasn’t started yet,” reads the order issued by the commission’s head, Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, following a hearing in Karachi. “In the absence of certificates, all these schemes shall be cancelled and permissions, if granted, shall be withdrawn,” the order reads.
Confusion
After the notification, confusion has abounded among builders, according to Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) Chairperson Arif Yousuf Jeewa. K-Electric and the Sui Southern Gas Company will issue the NOCs, he said. “Our concerns are about the KWSB,” he explained, adding that the water commission has already barred the water board from issuing NOCs for buildings exceeding ground-plus-one. “Due to this conflict, we will now go to the water commission,” he said.
SC upholds ban on construction of high-rise buildings in Sindh
Who benefitted earlier
When approvals were handed out for high-rise buildings in Karachi in the past, a lot of departments minted money. The real losers were the residents of these buildings who are now facing water shortages and poor sanitation.
There was no department that did not benefit from the kickbacks. The KWSB issued illegal approvals and provided water and sewerage line connections to such buildings. The cantonment boards changed the use of land to allow skyscrapers. Several politicians associated with construction businesses secured profitable contracts.
But when the buildings began filling up, the real problems started. “There was a war between the KWSB, SBCA and cantonments,” said a senior KWSB official requesting anonymity. “Unfortunately, the minister for both the KWSB and SBCA is the same.”
Since 2012, the water board has not received any betterment charges from the SBCA, the official complained. However, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s city council recently passed a resolution that clearly states that ‘under the change of land use and master planning by-laws 2003’, the KWSB must get 20 per cent share of the approval of change of land fees.