High-rise government apartments approved

"The infrastructure of G-13 was designed to cater to four-storey buildings at most," CDA official.

ISLAMABAD:

City managers have allowed the construction of high-rise apartments in Sector G-13, despite the infrastructure only allowing for small buildings. “The infrastructure of G-13 was designed to cater to four-storey buildings at most. If 14 or 15 storey buildings are allowed to be built, they could damage the underground sewerage and drainage system,” said a CDA official who wished not to be named.

However, an official at the Federal Government Employee Housing Foundation of the Ministry of Housing and Works said there was no harm in constructing high-rise buildings, especially due to increasing land prices across the country.

He added that the CDA has completed formalities to construct a 100,000 gallon overhead tank and a 50,000 gallon underground tank.

“The scheme will help overcome the housing backlog which has hit a significant number of employees for the last several years,” he explained.

The premise of the scheme is to guarantee a house in the capital to every registered government employee, which has so far been an elusive dream for many. However, it has been learnt that the apartments, which will total 3,000 units, are still without a sewerage system, which puts the construction and development work under suspicion.

The complex will be built by the Frontier Works Organisation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2011.