School encroachments create public headache

Most are set up in residential areas.

ISLAMABAD:

Encroachments by a number of private schools in residential areas in the capital make life difficult not just for residents but also inconvenience commuters especially during rush hours.     

The schools have occupied government land by installing gates and sometimes creating gardens or parking lots. Placing concrete blocks in front of institutes for security reasons hampers the flow of traffic, effectively blocking the road in the morning and afternoon.

The number of private schools has increased in recent years as investors consider them a profitable business and many owners prefer to hire houses to save money. “I live in Sector I-10 where people are running private schools in their homes. I get stuck in traffic every day due to encroachment by schools,” said Shakir Hussain, a resident.

A number of private schools are operating within houses and are not even registered with the toothless Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority which cannot keep a check on these institutes, he observed.

Kamran Khan, a resident of F-10 said, “My child goes to a private school due to its reputation, but it’s a hassle to pick and drop him as half the street is encroached by the school’s extended gate and wall.

CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid, said they regularly carry out anti-encroachment drives to remove unauthorised construction. The capital’s master plan does not specify land for private schools, but the CDA has decided to allocate plots in residential sector to be developed in future, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th, 2013.