SBCA bans construction on eight commercial projects in Hyderabad SITE area

SBCA, SITE officials earlier summoned to explain which law allowed industrial to commercial conversion

HYDERABAD: The Sindh Building Control Authority has barred construction activity on eight projects of malls, clubs and hotels being built in the Hyderabad SITE area. A notification issued by SBCA Regional Director Naveed Asim stated that the ban is being imposed in accordance with the August 16, 2018, order of the Supreme Court-mandated Judicial Commission on Water and Sanitation.

During a visit to the SITE area on August 10, the commission's head, Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, took notice of conversion of industrial plots for commercial use. He summoned the officials of SBCA and Sindh Industrial and Trade Estate (SITE) to explain which law allowed the conversion.

"What is shocking is that these industries' [plots] have been converted into commercial [plots] with the permission of the SITE Board," he had observed. He questioned "... whether permission of the civic agencies was obtained prior to allowing [the] construction [on industrial plots]".

The eight projects include Boulevard Mall, Mall of Hyderabad, Lucky Shanghai Trade Center, Lucky Mall, Emerald Hotel, Hero Tower, Ahmed Residency and Boulevard Hotel and Club.



The Boulevard Mall, which is the first shopping mall in Hyderabad located along Auto Bahn Road in the city's outskirts, is the only project which was completed over two years ago and was subsequently opened to the public.

The other seven projects are in the construction phase, but the booking process has been initiated in all of them.

"... neither change of land use, nor raising construction would be allowed by SITE or any other department. Therefore, a complete stop of construction is imposed till further orders of the water commission on the eight projects," reads the SBCA's notification.

There are some 311 industries in the SITE area, of which 229 are functional. Warehouses and petrol pumps exist on 38 plots while the industries on 44 other plots have been classified as sick units.