Developed in the 1990s, Islamabad’s I-14 sector still lacks basic facilities, including water and Sui gas. Its roads are also broken and sewerage lines choked.

It is the only sector in the federal capital which has no proper access road. One has to travel to and from the area by zigzagging hundreds of workshops and shops.

The unavailability of streetlights, street signboards and the presence of alleged criminals has also become a major problem for the residents. Besides, some people still continue cultivation in the sector due to which the residential sector remains flooded with insects and snakes.

It may be noted that in 1990 the Capital Development Authority (CDA) decided to develop I-14 to accommodate those natives of Islamabad whose land was acquired for the development of different sectors.

These affected people lived in the federal capital before 1960s. The CDA allotted them one kanal developed plot at the sector against four kanals acquired from them.

Two decades after its development, plot owners are still not ready to construct houses

As many as 7,500 plots of six different sizes - 20x40, 30x40, 25x50, 25x60, 30x60 and 35x60 square feet - were allotted to the affected people. The CDA started giving possession of the plots to them in 2011 and now almost 500 people have constructed their houses in the sector.

Zohaib Nasir, a resident of the sector, told Dawn that the CDA was bound to provide all the basic facilities such as water, electricity and roads in the sector before giving the possession of the plots.

“But here the situation is just the opposite. There are still a number of people in the sector who continue cultivating different crops. Moreover, people graze their cattle on the plots due to which the sector looks like a village,” he said.

He said due to the continued cultivation, water remained stagnant at many places, becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects.

“The CDA provides all the basic facilities in its sectors but in I-14 there is not Sui gas. Though pipelines have been laid, water is still not being supplied and people have to do boring before starting the construction of houses.

Because of the rampant boring, the underground water level has gone down to about 300 feet,” he said.

He said the sewerage lines were either broken or choked due to which the residents faced problems. Most of the roads within the sector are broken, so people hesitate to construct houses,” he said.

Anwar Khan, another resident, said so far streetlights had not been installed in the sector due to which there were security concerns.

A number of transformers have been stolen while burglars also deprived the residents of their household valuables.

Illegal constructions are also on the rise but no one is taking action against the encroachers, he said.

“The sector is in the limits of the Tarnol police station but a police post is being constructed in Sector I-15. The police patrolling may be started after the completion of the picket.”

He said the main issue in the sector was the absence of a proper access road. Commuters have to cross hundreds of workshops and shops to reach the sector due to which most of the plot owners are still hesitant to construct their houses.

Either a separate access road should be constructed or the existing road should be widened, he said.

Mr Anwar said the CDA had not auctioned commercial plots in the sector due to which the residents had to travel three to six kilometres to buy essential commodities.

Mohammad Azhar said there was also lack of educational institutions in the area.

Another resident, Barkat Shah, said a large number of Afghans had started shifting to the sector.

He expressed the fear that if not checked on time it would become impossible for the CDA to remove the illegal constructions and the Afghan nationals from the sector after a few years.

“Crime is increasing in the sector, so people who have constructed their houses are now considering shifting somewhere else,” he said.

Nasir Khan, who was visiting the area to purchase a plot, said though the sector was not fully populated, heaps of garbage were seen everywhere.

People have been cultivating crops here and I have learnt that they do not have a proper water supply system.

“The quality of development work also looks poor, so the CDA should try to resolve these issues because only that is how people would start coming to such sectors. Moreover, a circular road should be constructed around the city because it would decrease the travel time from the sector to other areas of the city,” he said.

When contacted, CDA spokesman Asim Khichi said the management of the civic agency had devised a strategy to develop the stalled sectors and resolve public issues in other sectors.

“The prequalification of Sector I-15 and tenders for Park Enclave have been floated. Similarly, all the issues of I-14 will be resolved.”

He said the CDA management had also devised a plan to remove encroachments from the sector and encourage people to construct houses there.

The enforcement wing of the civic agency will be asked to stop the illegal constructions in the sector, he said.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2014