Rainwater harvesting a must for all buildings

Capital Development Authority (CDA) board has approved a new policy, requiring all residential and commercial buildings to install a rainwater harvesting system on their premises to conserve water.

The board said that the map of no building shall be approved unless they have the water recharging well and water reuse system including a tank. The rainwater harvesting system aims to boost the water conservation efforts of the CDA.

The CDA board also approved the establishment of a separate Building and Housing Control Wing. It has also been decided to establish a pension and endowment fund in the CDA.

The sixth annual meeting of the board, held under the chair of CDA chairman Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, also approved the proceedings of the previous meeting.

The building control will prevent illegal construction and ensure the implementation of building bylaws. Fifty teams will perform duty in the building control wing. The building control team will also consist of one assistant director and two surveyors.

The CDA board also approved the steps taken to make the Sanitation Directorate and Environment Wing more efficient with powers to impose fines and punishments.

The CDA board delegated the authority to determine the sanitation fee to the CDA chairman.

Apart from this, the board also approved amendments to the ICT Building Control bylaws Regulation 2002, while approval was also given for constructions on IJP and Murree Road.

The CDA board also decided to increase the floor area ratio of the educational plots of Zone 2, 4 and 5 of Islamabad. Approval has also been given to rent plots for the establishment of private schools in Islamabad. Similarly, school plots will be leased for 33 years at concessional rents. These schools will be opened to facilitate the middle class and lower middle class.

The CDA board decided that the plots for community centres, dispensaries and schools of all approved housing societies should be recorded in the inventory of the Estate Wing.

The CDA board also approved the NOC for the “Aagosh-Two Housing Society.”

At the board meeting, the CDA chairman directed that the concept plan of the Islamabad Bus Terminal I-11 should be submitted within two weeks. He issued further instructions that work should be started on the Islamabad bus terminal within two months.

In addition, the CDA board also decided to start work on the cultural complex and approved the renaming of the cultural complex from Shakarpadian to Al Hamra Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2023.