ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: A multi-storey plaza, as sparkling as its name Safa Gold, has risen up in the posh Jinnah Super Market but sadly after trampling over a real jewel – a verdant natural stream that used to meander through the area.

It may still flow, but hideously hidden from the view of eyes searching for its past glory.

Builders of the Safa Gold, or ‘Clear Gold’ in rough translation, have covered nearly 300-metre long stretch of the clean water natural stream, violating rules of ‘Islamabad the beautiful’ and the Nature equally.

Obviously covered to park the heavy generators that provide power to the plaza, and more importantly access to the wealthy clientele, the stream looked before as many others in the city - gurgling with clean waters, covered with vegetation and abode for wild boars. Come monsoon rains, the streams would sparkle and send the boars scurrying to hide elsewhere.

Officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) do recognise the illegality of the construction, and the monstrous generators.

“We have sent a notice to the management of the Safa Gold to remove all unauthorised construction material, and the air conditioning units,” CDA spokesperson Dr Naeem Rauf told Dawn.

The spokesman recalled that the plaza management had pleaded with the CDA to let them use the space they had created by investing millions in erecting concrete walls to cover the natural stream.

“Now the matter is in a sessions court where the management of Safa Gold building challenged the CDA directions to remove all illegal encroachments,” he said.

Other CDA officials said the constructors of the Safa Gold building grossly violated the building codes of the CDA.

“The codes clearly state that commercial buildings are not to go up beyond ground plus three floors. But the Safa Gold is an eight story structure,” said a senior official explaining how the two fountains in the front of the building, 10 to 15 metres in length illegally blocked the right of way of the pedestrians.

The eight-storey building houses shops, with top few floors dedicated to a cinema, a gym and a playing area for children.

The building today sits on the land where CDA Health Directorate used to be and was auctioned by the CDA. The construction of the Safa Gold Mall began some three years ago and is yet to be finished.

Nonetheless, the buyer’s action of covering the natural stream was the first environmentally degrading encroachment that upset the officials of the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and the Climate Change Division.

Director-General Pak-EPA Asif Shuja said the natural watercourse carried rainwater down stream.

“The concrete walls raised on its banks would only speed up the flow of water. That can cause floods, especially when a trend of erratic and abnormally heavy down pours have been developing over Islamabad since past few years,” he warned.

The director-general said Pak-EPA had sent two notices to the Safa Gold management; one asking it to explain why and how it had covered the natural stream while the other notice was sent last month after the management ignored Pak-EPA’s warning that it had illegally covered the stream.

The concrete walls also disrupt a stream recharging mechanism when water speedily gushes down stream lessening the chances of the land to absorb water, he added.

However, Mr Abdul Rehman of the Safa Gold administration had his own arguments that the construction procedures were “environment friendly”.

Asked how, he said: “The water spouting from the fountains in front of the plaza cooled the air over Islamabad.”

When pressed for a rational answer, Mr Rehman’s colleague became menacing, pushing and hitting this reporter.

One staff member, Mr Rana, tried to take a swing at me and then ordered two armed guards of the plaza to beat me black and blue but they hurled just death threats.

“We will hurt you the same way we hurt the last inquisitive reporter if we ever see you around the premises again,” warned Mr Rana and forced me to delete all the pictures if I wanted to leave the place “in one piece”.