Monsoon preparation: ‘130 dilapidated buildings will soon be evacuated’

DCO says repair works have started at 49 other buildings, 21 have been demolished.

LAHORE: As many as 130 buildings no longer fit for use across the city will be evacuated in the coming days, Lahore DCO Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman said on Saturday.

He was speaking at a meeting to review preparations for the monsoon season. The DCO said a recent survey by town administrations had found 358 buildings that were no longer fit for use. The DCO said that immediately after the survey notices were served to the occupants to either get the buildings repaired or vacate them. He said repair works had been started at 49 of these buildings. Another 21 had been demolished and 35 vacated by the occupants, he added.

The DCO said the occupants of the remaining buildings were yet to decide whether they wanted to vacate the building or get them repaired. “Our teams are holding negotiations with them. We are trying to convince them to take a decision before the start of the monsoon season,” he said.

The DCO said the district government was using all resources at its disposal to secure life and property of its citizens. “We will not restrict our monsoon plan to serving of notices alone,” he said. He said the government would work with the occupants and help them devise a plan for the buildings. He said teams headed by assistant commissioners and town administrators were working in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2015.