RDA may approve 100-foot high buildings

Authority’s chairman says these structures would be earthquake-proof

RAWALPINDI: Given the rapidly growing population of the garrison city, Rawalpindi’s top development body is mulling plans to allow the construction of high-rises which are up to 100-feet tall.

“The construction companies will get the permission to go above the current margin of 65-feet for buildings only if they ensure that the structures are substantially earthquake-proof,” Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Tariq Murtaza told The Express Tribune on Friday.

The matter is expected to be taken up by the board of governors of RDA and the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) in their meeting scheduled for Saturday, Murtaza said, adding that they will discuss several issues surrounding approval for high-rise buildings and increasing the revenue of the authority.

He said that initially, RDA will allow erection of these multi-storey buildings on the 12 main roads of the city, including both sides of GT Road, Saidpur Road, Asghar Mall Road, the road behind High Court Rawalpindi Bench, Adiyala Road, Chakri Road, Shahpur Road and Saddar Road besides some other thoroughfares.

In this connection, new standard operating procedures will be formulated to approve the construction plans and maps, Murtaza said adding the authority would give special consideration to the strength of these buildings for approving the layout.

The pre-qualifications of these structures would include several emergency exits and a helipad on the roof to airlift people in case of a disaster. Presence of fire-fighting equipment was necessary for every commercial building, however, for the 100-feet tall plazas, it would be mandatory.

Currently, up to 60-feet high buildings were allowed on GT Road and below 38-feet in the city’s centre.

Murtaza said vertical construction would reduce pressure on the land.

Parking plaza lease

The authority has decided to invite bids for multi-storey parking plaza located at Fawara Chowk, the RDA chairman said. The annual contract of the plaza expire next month, he added.

Moreover, RDA would auction all of its shops on Saidpur Road to generate revenue, he said.

 

Audit of housing schemes

Trashing doubts over transparency in approving housing schemes, RDA chairman said the authority would consider conducting a third-party audit of these projects.

RDA had recently placed on its website names of 48 government-approved housing schemes. “We are willing to undergo a third-party audit to confirm transparency of the process,” he said.

Third-party surveys will review whether housing societies have not sold the allocated plots for cemeteries, parks, schools, and mosques, commercial. The independent inquiries would also check if the housing societies have planted the required number of trees and if the government stamp duty was paid for the sale of plots.

Besides, Murtaza said crackdown against 250 illegal 250 housing societies would continue.