Illegal constructions, building bylaws violation continue

LAHORE: Illegal constructions and violation of building bylaws pertaining to commercial and residential buildings have become a routine matter in the jurisdiction of Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

A survey of different city localities revealed that the commercial constructions are being made on non-commercial roads as well as in residential areas without any fear of being caught.

To tackle this issue, the LDA in past has bifurcated the post of Chief Town Planner and presently there are two Chief Town Planners but the violations of building bylaws and illegal constructions continued.

It is pertinent to mention here that the new LDA DG, Tahir Farooq, directed the LDA’s Town Planning Wing to ensure display of LDA’s approval at the construction sites of the buildings but the implementation on this directive was not implemented by 100 per cent.

A senior LDA officer, seeking anonymity, claimed that no one can place a single brick without the knowledge of the LDA’s Town Planning Wing. He claimed that most of the illegal constructions are made with the connivance of LDA’s Town Planning officials.

Many senior officials of the Town Planning Wing, on anonymity, complained that they were short of staff for proper monitoring and implementation of building bylaws. They said in past many officers were transferred from the TP Wing to the CMP Wing where they were sitting idle and doing nothing.

Sources in LDA’s TP Wing claimed that commercial constructions are going on many frozen roads in the city and College Road from Ameer Chowk to Missile Chowk, Pine Avenue Road, Parts of Canal Road, several main roads in Allama Iqbal Town, PIA Road, Johar Town and Faisal Town were the best examples.

They said the DG should spend some time visiting the city roads with his both CTPs, especially the frozen roads to know how the commercial buildings have emerged on these roads and who are responsible for it and what action has so far been taken against them.

During the survey, The News found some two dozen under-construction small houses in the area between Sabzazar and Multan Road. The issue was discussed with the Chief Town Planner-I and she asked Director Zone II Naveed Bhatti will visit the site. However, the construction continued and the Zone II shifted its burden of stopping the construction or taking action towards LDA’s DEM PHS department on the pretext that the construction was being made on an illegal land sub-division, which came under its jurisdiction.

In the same zone, another illegal construction is pointed out in Sutlej block Allama Iqbal Town and Director Naveed Bhatti said he will take action but so far no action was taken. One can also finds a good number of commercial buildings at Karim Block and its opposite blocks of Iqbal Town.

Another illegal pillar construction building was being constructed in the main Bazaar Awan Town and despite informing the concerned officers, no action was initiated.

Similarly, The News pointed out three petrol pumps constructed in Zone-VII without fulfilling the building bylaws. One petrol pump situated near Lal Pul, Tajpura was constructed without the NOC/approval of the Explosive Department while two petrol pumps were constructed on Kacha Kahna Road leading to Ferozpur Road from Defence Road.

When contacted, Assistant Director concerned Ghafran said the petrol pump at Lal Pul provided NOC/Approval of Explosive Department while the other two have also submitted their building plans.

He didn’t reply to the question that without the final approval of building maps how these petrol pumps were constructed and how they started their business/sale.