Poonch House Complex in a shambles

Residents face poor safety, sewerage issues, lack of maintenance

RAWALPINDI:

Poonch House Complex, a residential and commercial building located on Saddar Adamjee road is not only in a dilapidated condition, but residents are also facing several problems, including inadequate sanitation, leaking sewerage system and insufficient security arrangements.

The building that houses 48 flats is owned by the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Several other issues that trouble inhabitants are a lack of building maintenance, nuisance of stray dogs, and insufficient parking facilities.

Poonch House Complex was built in 1985 by Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo's government on a piece of land next to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's palace. Poonch House Complex’s first five floors are commercial property. Families live on the sixth to eighth floors, and they pay their rent to Poonch House Administration.

When contacted regarding the problems, Poonch House Complex Administrator Masroor Abbasi that the Public Works Department has been granted a tender of Rs0.8 million for the building maintenance and replacement of sewerage lines, and the work will start soon.

Abbasi added that parking was an issue because five floors are commercial, the limited parking was overcrowded, and they did not have more space, so this issue was not resolved yet. The elevators of both buildings were in working condition and orders have been issued to improve sanitation and security. Prevention of stray dogs from entering the complex area has also been instructed, he claimed.

The administrator said the budget is limited, and CCTV cameras will be installed in the future to increase the security of the complex, with safety fences to be placed on the roof as part of the safety measures in the next budget. The administration was aware that residents face these problems, and were solving these issues on a priority basis despite limited budgets.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2022.