Save the greenery: Houses to replace trees at Margallas

CDA accused of ‘pushing such an agenda’, should open sectors in other zones instead of defacing National Park Area.

ISLAMABAD: Elected Parliamentarians from the federal capital strongly opposed the proposal to launch housing schemes in Zone-III, which was recently approved by the federal cabinet.

Anjum Aqeel Khan, member National Assembly from PML-N, said that he found out in its last meeting that the federal cabinet had approved the plan to launch housing schemes in Zone-III. “The area had been specified as National Park Area in the master plan of the Capital Development Authority (CDA),” he said.

Aqeel said that the cabinet’s decision would not only destroy the beauty of Islamabad, but also create environmental hazards.

He said that the cabinet on the recommendations of a three-member ministerial committee, comprising federal ministers for law and justice, interior and housing, asked for relaxation of CDA rules for launching housing schemes in Zone-III. He said that he would resist the move when formal notification was issued in this regard.

The lawmaker further said that he or his party did not have any interest in this decision and nor were they taken on board while taking this decision.

“It is not just my desire, but the people of Islamabad want to see a green Zone-III, and any housing scheme in the area would ruin the beauty of the city and habitat of species over there,” he said.

Khan blamed CDA for ‘pushing such an agenda’, saying that the civic authority should have opened sectors in other zones instead of defacing the National Park Area.

Sources said that CDA had also shelved the Margalla National Park Project (MNPP). This project was going to be established at around 350 acres of land at the National Park area with the initial cost of Rs212 million.

The project was slashed from the list of the development projects in the city, due to paucity of funds.

“But the actual reason, for omitting the project, was to pave way for opening housing schemes in the Zone-III,” said an official.

Earlier the project was included in the master plan for parks, which was chalked out a year ago, to enhance the beauty of the capital.

Blocks of governmental and semi-governmental institutions were going to be built, in the park, and trees were to be grown in them representing all provinces including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

When contacted, Deputy Director General Planning CDA Sarwar Sindu dispelled the impression that there were any plans to allow housing schemes in the Zone-III. He also denied that any such decision was being taken by the cabinet.

However, he admitted that there was a proposal regarding housing societies in the area, but it could not materialise and discussions were being held in this regard. “It could not go forward due to disagreement of the CDA,”
he added.

According to some reports, digging and excavation on the hills over Shah Allah Ditta village had already started and an illegal housing society was already being worked upon.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2010.