ISLAMABAD: The devastation caused by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that killed 38 people in Azad Kashmir has reminded the Capital Development Authority (CDA) that most high-rise buildings in the capital are operating without completion certificates.

Also known as occupancy certificates, these documents deal with the structural stability of a building among other matters. But the owners of most buildings in Islamabad have been using them without obtaining the certificates.

CDA Director Building Control Faisal Naeem admitted that many buildings were operating without completion certificates, but said this “does not mean that these buildings pose the risk of collapse, as after 2007, all buildings in urban areas were constructed under the supervision of certified engineers.”

“We check material and construction weekly and fortnightly during construction,” he added.

Lack of completion certificates does not necessarily mean buildings are dangerous, as they are supposed to be built under supervision of engineers

However, he said he could not speak to buildings in the rural areas, where are considered unauthorised construction.

“We cannot say that all buildings pose a threat to the lives of citizens. Maybe most of them have the best structure, but yes it is true that these buildings are operating without completion certificates, which are a gauge to check their stability and the implementation of building plans and so on,” a CDA official who asked not to be named said.

The official recalled that Margalla Tower, which collapsed in the 2005 earthquake and killed more than 70 people, was among the buildings operating without completion certificates.

Completion certificates deal with fire and safety equipment, building structure, the implementation of building plans and so on. CDA officials Dawn spoke to said the buildings in question will not necessarily have building stability issues, and the real issue in the deviation from building plans.

“It appears that owners carry out more construction than was permitted, which is why they avoid obtaining completion certificates. We do not think they have weak building structure, but yes without completion certificates we cannot say anything,” a building control official said.

Sources in the CDA said that nearly all the high-rise buildings in Blue Area and other parts of the city have no completion certificates, while residential apartments are also being used without occupancy certificates.

They said the CDA sold around 30 plots in urban areas where apartment buildings were constructed, and their owners occupied them in connivance with some CDA officials without obtaining the certificates.

Sources said the auctioned plots included 11 in F-11, five in G-11, four in F-10 and one in G-8.

“Of these apartment buildings, only one has a completion certificate,” a CDA engineer said.

He said that there are also a large number of apartment buildings in the rural areas, parts of the city which the CDA has paid little attention to.

The authority has no data on residential apartments or commercial buildings in the rural areas, and the CDA has never approved or issued completion certificates to construction in the rural areas.

A CDA official said: “Honestly speaking, we do not have data on commercial buildings and apartment buildings located in the rural areas.”

CDA spokesperson Syed Safdar Ali said the authority recently completed a survey of buildings in the urban areas.

“We have been issuing notices to buildings that are operating without completion certificates,” he said, adding that building owners are bound to have their buildings approved by certified engineers registered with the Pakistan Engineering Council.

“We cannot say that the buildings are not stable, as they were constructed on the recommendations of certified engineers, but yes during the completion certificate process we get final certificates on structural stability from engineers,” he added.

He said three high-rise buildings in the urban areas have been issued completion certificates.

Asked about the rural areas, Mr Ali said the Building Control Section II directorate was set up a couple of years ago to deal with construction in housing societies and the rural areas. He said this directorate is issuing notices to buildings situated in the rural areas.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2019