Notices served on owners of high-rises for lack of security measures

Islamabad: The civic agency has sent notices to owners of all those high-rises in Sector E-11 that lack proper security arrangements such as fire safety equipment, security cameras and emergency exit.

According to the details, a special team of Building Control section of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has conducted a survey in Sector E-11 in which all such buildings have been identified that have no proper security arrangements.

Now the civic agency has sent notices to owners of these buildings and warned them if they fail to ensure security arrangements then strict legal action would be taken against them.

The official data showed that residents of many high-rise buildings submitted application to the civic agency against poor security arrangements and requested to take action against their owners. An official has said that the federal cabinet has already authorised CDA to enforce building bylaws for safety of the residents of Sector E-11.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government took strong notice of the situation during urban flooding in Sector E-11 and directed the civic agency not only to remove encroachment but also implement building bylaws involving safety arrangements especially for inmates of highrise buildings.

The CDA also sought fresh soundness and stability certificates from the owners of all high-rise buildings after earthquake in March this year and constituted teams to survey all the buildings on an emergent basis.

The official said "We are fully alive to the concerns of the inmates of highrise buildings in Sector E-11. Our team has recently completed a field survey of these buildings and prepared a comprehensive report. Now we have served notices on non-compliance of the building byelaws."

"At the moment we have given time to owners of these buildings to make proper security arrangements. When this deadline expires then we will take action against non-compliance of our orders," he said.