Park Enclave: A big challenge for CDA boss

Several stalled projects need to be taken up at the earliest to restore investor confidence.

ISLAMABAD: Though the civic agency is beset with multiple and lingering issues, the newly-appointed chairman will push it hard to persuade the disenchanted investors to have faith in a residential project facing an inordinate delay.

Work on the Park Enclave project, a residential scheme started by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in 2011 with a pledge to complete it in a year time, is still in the doldrums despite the passage of over two years.

According to sources, land for the project, where local citizens, politicians and a number of overseas Pakistanis have invested, is not yet in the possession of the civic agency.

“Though the former chairman took note of the delays, he did not put its development on the fast track, and instead deferred the PC-I of the project to the planning wing rationalising,” said an official of the wing.

This pushed the project back to square one, as the former chairman had asked for complete revision of the layout plan of the project.

According to the sources, Asif asked the planning wing to terminate several features of the project including a sewerage treatment plant, an access road to the housing society and protection work on a seasonal stream passing through the scheme.

However, the planning wing did not take up the revised layout plan.

“The former chairman was of the view that by doing away with several features of the project, the authority could save a hefty amount including Rs150 million on the sewerage treatment plant. But the question is, how will the authority treat sewage without the plant,” the official questioned.

He said that by doing so, the authority would set a bad precedent and that would be followed by private developers in the future and would compromise the city’s environment.

Similarly, if the stream protection work is given up, a number of plots along the stream would be affected, with water entering residential flats in case of flooding.

“Almost all the suggestions forwarded by the former chairman are not based on ground realities,” the official said.

When contacted, CDA spokesperson Asim Khichi said that the incumbent management of the civic agency was fully cognisant of the stalled projects. “The incumbent chairman will soon get a briefing on these projects including Park Enclave before starting work with new development plans,” Khichi said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2013.