City district govt fails to get dilapidated buildings vacated

Rawalpindi 

The monsoon winds have entered the country in full force but the concerned authorities of city district government as per routine seem to be in deep slumber as so far they have failed to get dilapidated buildings vacated. 

Similarly, majority of gypsy families settled along ‘Nullah Leh’ and Soan River have not shifted to safer localities.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Director Dr Muhammad Hanif told ‘The News’ that monsoon winds have entered the country in full force. Torrential rains would be expected in most parts of the country including twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in next 24 hours, he claimed. He said that most parts of the country would face heavy rains in next 8 days. He also said that people would enjoy wet Eid as well. “We have informed local management to adopt precautionary measures to avoid expected flood as there will be 20 per cent more rains in monsoon season,” he warned.

Scores of old buildings in Rawalpindi city and cantonment are in very poor condition and are posing life threat to thousands of residents. These buildings become more dangerous particularly during monsoon season.

It merits mentioning here that some of dilapidated buildings including ten rooms of a government school building had collapsed in rains last time but the concerned authorities are not taking any practical step to demolish such buildings or to start construction work.

The social circles of Rawalpindi city and cantonment have appealed to higher authorities of the concerned department to take notice of the situation and take concrete steps to get the dilapidated buildings vacated at least during monsoon season to avoid any untoward incident.

According to Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Rawal Town, they have issued warning notices to all residents settled in dilapidated buildings. He also said that they have given warnings to all gypsy people to shift to some other safer places. If they will not follow the orders then strict action will be taken against them, he warned.

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has already declared around 121 dilapidated buildings located in Saddar, Gawalmandi, Qasai Chowk, Lalkurti and some other areas as dangerous.

A survey conducted by ‘The News’ revealed that majority of old dilapidated buildings are located in Banni, Jamia Masjid Road, Arya Mohallah, Bhabra Bazaar, Mareer Hassan, Sarafa Bazaar, Ganjmandi, Purana Qila, Waris Khan, Liaquat Road, Barra Bazaar, Namak Mandi, Ratta Amral, Pirwadhai and along Benazir Bhutto Road.

Talking to ‘The News’ residents of different areas said that old dilapidated buildings in Rawalpindi city and cantonment pose a grave threat to the lives of people living in and around them, but the concerned authority is taking the matter lightly even in monsoon season as well. Maximum sections of these dilapidated buildings have already collapsed. Many of these buildings are locked for years, they said. People living around these buildings also said that the concerned authority is perhaps waiting for a disaster to spring into action.

Masood Akhtar, a resident of Sarafa Bazaar said that they remain in continuous fear as they are living around dilapidated buildings. “We bear this fear whole year but during monsoon season we face worst kind of fear and panic but concerned authority not taking this matter seriously,” he denounced.