ISLAMABAD: The Building Control Section South of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has initiated a preliminary survey to geo-tag all legal and illegal commercial buildings in their jurisdiction.
Initially, this data will be used internally, but eventually, it will be made available on the CDA website for public access.
The BCS South is responsible for enforcing building bylaws in Zone IV and V, comprising private housing societies and unplanned areas.
Previously, building information was limited to physical files, lacking a centralized and automated system.
However, the field survey teams are now on the ground, using Google Maps to tag building locations and add relevant information.
Once completed, all details regarding commercial and residential buildings will be electronically accessible, providing users with information on location, size, condition, legal status, and ownership through a single click.
Director BCS South, Muhammad Shafi Marwat, stated that the Chairman of the CDA, Captain (R) Noor ul Ameen Mengal, aims to minimize human intervention and shift processes online.
He confirmed the formation of teams and the ongoing survey of geo-tag buildings to identify and take appropriate actions against illegal developments.
The building plan approval mechanism has been automated to address citizen complaints about delays.
Previously, plot owners had to submit their drawings to the housing societies’ offices for approval, leading to delays in forwarding the cases to the CDA.
A system has been developed where building plans submitted to society offices are immediately communicated to the concerned BCS section for active follow-up.
Marwat explained that the project is currently in its first phase, but in the second phase, plot owners will be able to directly submit their building plans to the civic authority’s One Window.
BCS will obtain verifications and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from housing societies through a portal currently being developed.
In the third stage, citizens will have online access to their building plans, eliminating the need to visit any office.
An online system will allow citizens to create an account, submit, track, and obtain approvals without visiting CDA or society offices.
It is worth mentioning that automation has been a long-standing issue, despite previous promises by city leadership.
However, the present Director of BCS South, Shafi Marwat, previously implemented a system to enforce building bylaws in rural areas of Islamabad when he served as the director of Building Control Section II a few years ago.
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