KARACHI, Feb 4: In the future no building plan without the provision of emergency exits will be approved in Defence as per the amended construction by-laws of the Defence Housing Authority.

This was stated by DHA Administrator Khalid Tirmizi while talking to a delegation of the Association of Defence Residents at the DHA’s main office on Wednesday. The chief executive of Cantonment Board Clifton and officials of the DHA were also present.

The administrator asked the cantonment board officials to ask the management of a cinema to make arrangements for provision of requisite emergency exits and availability of fire-fighting equipment at the site to minimise chances of any disaster in the future.

He said the DHA had planned to install surveillance cameras and security gadgets in the area. He said negotiations with various private security agencies were under way to work out a viable security plan for the Defence area.

He said work on reconstruction and carpeting of the dug-up roads in Defence was in full swing and assured the delegation that the entire work would be completed by June 30.

DHA Project Director retired Brig Iftikhar Haider said that 16 contracts for road repairs/ reconstruction had been awarded to various contractors, adding that the reconstruction work on Khyaban-i-Shamsheer, E-Street and Khyaban-i-Badar would be completed soon.

Brig Tirmizi asked the DHA staff to make arrangements for re-fixing of protective steel grills missing on both sides of Korangi Road. He assured the delegation that DHA was exerting pressure and influence on all stakeholders of the Cogen Desalination Plant to ensure that the plant was made operational at the earliest.

He applauded the CBC staff for taking action to solve the problems of the residents of slum areas, adding that development plans formulated by the CBC on a war-footing for the uplift of Katchi Abadis were highly commendable.

He asked the CBC staff to ensure that so-called embedded covers were placed on all manholes in Defence and Clifton.—PPI