2,500 drives against encroachment in 2 years

More than 2,500 anti-encroachment drives were successfully conducted by the Islamabad administration during the past two years, The Express Tribune learnt on Saturday.

As per a report available with The Express Tribune, the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) conducted 2,537 anti-encroachment operations during the past two years.

Some 18,247 illegal buildings and houses were razed down while 20,116 other establishments were demolished during the period as well. Collectively, fines worth Rs2.66 million were imposed on the violators in the past two years, the report said.

Read Govt approves Rs100m to save banyan tree in Rawalpindi

ICTA demolished some 250 shops on GT Road and cleared the encroached area. Some 20 marquees on Kashmir Highway were also razed down whereas around 100 small shops were also demolished by the district administration during the span.

The report said that ICTA recovered 150 acres of land of the Botanical Garden that was under encroachment. Similarly, some 100 acres area belonging to Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) was also retrieved from the land grabbers after many years.

ICTA also cleared around 900 acres of Punjab forest land in the jurisdiction of Margalla, Tamir, Maira Beri, and Chirah areas of Islamabad. The related area was invaded by illegal housing societies and farmhouses. The land was handed over to the Punjab government after clearance.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2021.