Rawalpindi admin fails to get dilapidated buildings vacated

Rawalpindi: Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation has failed to take stern action against the families still living in dilapidated buildings as another monsoon has set in.

It seems that concerned authority is waiting for a terrible incident as Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rainfall during coming days and most of the families are still living in dilapidated buildings in the city and cantonment board localities. The concerned authority has completed paper work by issuing only warning notices to owners of these dilapidated buildings. The concerned civic body during a survey found out more than 100 poor conditioned buildings which could fall down with heavy rains or earthquake. It was also decided to register FIRs against owners of dilapidated buildings instead of only issuing warning notices but it proved nothing while families as per routine are settled in dilapidated buildings.

According to Pakistan Meteorological Department, heavy rainfall will be expected during monsoon this year. Normally monsoon season sets in after July 15, but this year heavy rainfall has started even before set date. Therefore, majority of areas in the country are already facing heavy rainfall.It is worth mentioning here that local management of Rawalpindi had rung emergency sirens during first monsoon rainfall a couple of days back.

A survey conducted by ‘The News’ revealed that there are more than 300 dilapidated buildings in city and cantonment board localities where families are settled in poor conditioned buildings for years. Some of buildings which were locked for a long time collapsed while major portions of other poor conditioned buildings are continuously falling down. Dozens of people living in and around these buildings had suffered injuries in past but concerned authority has failed to settle this issue properly.

Similarly, majority of gypsy families settled near ‘Nullah Leh’ and Soan River have not shifted to safer locality and as per routine concerned authorities has not taken action against them.Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) Chief Officer (CO) Khalid Javed Goraya admitted that there are several dilapidated buildings in the city. We will take strict action and register FIRs against owners of dilapidated buildings, he warned. He also said that we are continuously issuing notices to gypsy families settled along Nullah Leh and Soan River and warned them to vacate their places immediately.

According to local government procedure, residents are first issued legal notices, then registers FIRs and people are summoned to courts at a later stage which may award them a fine of Rs15,000 or sentence them to three years in jail or both.

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. 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.

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

Majority of old dilapidated buildings are located in Dalgaran Bazaar, Arya Mohallah, Bhabra Bazaar, Sarafa Bazaar, Mareer Hassan, Ganjmandi, Waris Khan, Liaquat Road, Bara Bazaar, Namak Mandi, Ratta Amral, Pirwadhai, Dosehra, Railway Road, Babu Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Banni, Jamia Masjid Road, Bagh Sardaran and along Benazir Bhutto Road.