Islamabad fast losing its charm due to rapid urbanisation

Islamabad, which is considered Pakistan’s model city for its cleanliness and greenery, is fast losing its charm due to rapid urbanisation as well as road and building infrastructures.

By 2030, experts anticipate, the capital would transform into a concrete city from a green city. Although there is nothing wrong with it as many other international capitals went through this transformation, Islamabad faces enormous challenges but little to no effort in dealing with them. The population has increased manifold and the city is not ready to cope with the challenges being posed.

The deteriorating security situation in other cities made Islamabad a safe bet for migration which further burdened the capital. According to official data, the city's population has increased by 100 per cent in the last 20 years. Islamabad's population was estimated to be two million people in the 2017 census. Consequently, issues like water shortage, unemployment, and inflated cost of housing emerged. Increased travel time, health hazards, industrialisation, transportation expenses, pollution, and loss of the countryside and agricultural lands are all downsides and consequences of urban sprawl.

Construction has boomed to cater to housing needs but this is being done without following the procedure. Islamabad has seen urban sprawl due to unrestrained construction of housing complexes and roads over wide swaths of land. This is being done with little regard for planning. The Capital Development Authority has declared around 150 housing societies illegal.

The clear lack of suitable housing, office space, and commerce amenities in the city core are the causes of this sprawl.

As urbanisation continues to increase, so do its long-term repercussions on the environment and people's social life. It has become a major source of concern for Islamabites. Air pollution, contaminated water, rising emission of greenhouse gases, and increasing health hazards have led us to conclude that Islamabad is not what it appears to be.

All of the vegetation and natural beauty are on the decline, and society must make a quick but good adjustment to maintain a tight grasp on the city's environmental changes in the future.

Islamabad's growing population necessitates creative solutions as it is to be believed that the city's administration lacks qualified personnel who specialise in recognising problems before they occur and proposing long-term remedies. The adage goes, "focus on the solution, not the issue." The students of Headstart School, Kuri Campus in Islamabad, conducted interviews with the officials of CDA and district administration who said they are planting more and more trees to mitigate the environmental impact.

The government should also accelerate efforts to deal with unemployment by industrialisation in far-flung areas so that people could have opportunities in their native towns. This will discourage migration to bigger cities like Islamabad. Collaboration with the local government can help deal with air pollution by promoting public transportation. A private-public partnership should be tried to deal with waste disposal and housing needs. At the core of every step should remain the consideration of the environment.

The population is not as dense as it will be in the next ten years, but deforestation is at an all-time high. Trees are being chopped down and housing societies are being set up in violation of laws.