New Regulatory Framework for Islamabad Will Prevent Future Urban Disasters: Ali Nawaz Awan

A new regulatory framework is being prepared for Islamabad in order to prevent urban disasters in the future, according to Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan.

Different organizations including the Civic Agency, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), cooperative departments, companies, acts, and others will be merged into one organization under the new framework.

ALSO READ

Punjab Government Demands Action Against Vehicles Using Unreliable CNG Cylinders

Speaking to the media, SAPM on CDA Affairs said that the draft of the regulatory framework has already been submitted to the Federal Cabinet and he hopes that it would become a law soon after its approval.

He added that CDA is making efforts to conduct hydrological surveys of all government and private housing societies in Islamabad.

Sharing the preliminary findings of a committee formed to investigate the urban flooding in the E-11 sector, the SAPM disclosed that flooding occurred because a housing society narrowed down the nullah to 18 feet from its natural width of more than 70 feet.

This sudden reduction in size created a bottleneck during the torrential monsoon rainfall on 28 July, causing urban flooding in which two precious lives were lost.

Unfortunately, in 2012 the previous Member Planning of CDA had allowed the housing society to not only reduce the natural width of the nullah but also alter its natural flow. The house where a mother and her child drowned after gushing water entered their basement was approved in 2014.

ALSO READ

Govt Asks Cement Manufacturers to Lower Their Prices

The investigation committee has also found that there was a dissent note along with the permission granted by the Member Planning CDA, meaning that the approval was wrong in the first place.

All the previous top hierarchy of CDA including Member Planning has been charge-sheeted on the basis of preliminary findings of the investigation committee.

The SAPM on CDA Affairs said that nullah passing through the E-11 sector will be restored to its original shape by demolishing all illegal buildings on its banks in order to avert urban flooding in the future.