Future of Rawalpindi linked with Ring Road project

RDA chairman urges people to check status of housing societies before making investments

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Muhammad Arif Abbasi has said that the future of Rawalpindi was associated with the Ring Road project.

He directed to consider the recommendations of basic facilities, education city, economic zone and housing schemes in the project during a briefing by the Director Administration and Finance Rao Atif Raza.

Moreover, following directives of the RDA chairman, the authority has directed the illegal housing societies to immediately stop advertising their projects.

The RDA Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MP&TE) Directorate has also been instructed to issue notices to the unauthorised housing societies under Punjab Private Housing Scheme and Land Sub-division Rules 2010 and the RDA officers were directed to take action against illegal constructions.

“No compromise should be made on rules while approving the private housing projects and the building plans,” Chairman Abbasi said giving directions to RDA director general and other authorities concerned.

He advised the citizens not to invest in illegal housing societies and check status of a housing project at RDA's official website before any investment.

Improving water supply

The Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards have planned to repair water supply equipment for additional water supply during the month of Ramazan.

For this purpose, four valves, which were out of order for the last four years, and 10 million gallon capacity tank of Tamir filtration plant will be repaired.

These steps will increase the storage capacity and duration of water supply by up to 1.5 hours. Further, the filling of underground and overhead tanks will enhance the water pressure which would ensure the water supply to the thickly populated cantonment areas which were not receiving water so far.

Meanwhile, water supply from Khanpur Dam is being carried out through the mediation of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Cantonment boards and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) without any impartial controlling authority.

At this time, both cantonment boards are supplied around nine million gallon water per day (MGD) instead of 19MGD as per the agreement. The 10 million shortfall exists ever since the project was made functional owing to which the thickly populated areas of cantonments remain parched.

Further, the water supply to Rawalpindi is done through Khanpur Dam, Rawal Dam and tube wells while Islamabad gets its supply from Simli Dam and tube wells.

Meanwhile officials said that as against the guidelines of the Military Lands and Cantonments (MLC) director general, the Rawalpindi Cantonment  Board has deployed sanitary supervisors, firefighters, sanitary workers, coolies, store clerks, pump attendants, valve men, office lines clerks and others to the most important Revenue Department.

Previously, the DG had directed the authorities to make related appointments keeping in view the grades and posts of the related officials and employees so as to improve the productivity and the discipline in the boards.

However, the office order of the Additional Cantonment Executive Officer stated that the recruitments in revenue branch will help in the improvement of performance of the department.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2019.