RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA)’s governing body on Saturday adopted Building and Zoning Regulations 2019 of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) with slight amendments and allowed construction of 10-storey buildings in the city areas.

Under the existing rules, buildings up to only four storeys were allowed in the city.The 45th meeting of the governing body of RDA/Wasa was held with Chairman RDA Tariq Mehmood Murtaza in the chair. The meeting was attended by the newly-appointed members of the governing body, including Haji Amjad (MPA PP-13), retired Maj Mohammad Latasab Satti (MPA PP-6), MPA Nasreen Tariq, Mohammad Muqarab Ali, technical expert, Chaudhry Mohammad Asghar, technical expert, RDA Director General Ammara Khan, Wasa Managing Director Mohammad Tanveer and others.The RDA director general presented an update on the ongoing development projects, including Ring Road and Leh Nullah Expressway. She also apprised the members about new initiatives such as kitchen gardening and rainwater harvesting.

The meeting adopted the LDA building and zoning regulations with slight amendments.

The RDA chairman said the governing body meeting would be held on a monthly basis.

RDA adopts Building and Zoning Regulations 2019 of Lahore Development Authority with slight amendments

Under the new building and zoning regulations, construction of shops on a maximum area of 450 sq ft on the ground floor in 10 marla apartment buildings, two shops of maximum 450 sq ft each in one kanal apartment building and four shops in two kanals and above apartment buildings on ground floor were allowed.

A community hall not exceeding 800 feet, which will not be used for any commercial activity, is allowed in two kanals and above buildings. In this regard, it is submitted that the provision of shop area (commercial) is required to be reconsidered and it is proposed that at least 10 per cent of the total covered area of an apartment building may be allowed for convenience shops, impulse shops, grocery, daycare, barber shops, dry cleaner shop etc.

Further, it is also clarified that the area of apartment buildings should not be less than four kanals even in the approved layout scheme, so that parameters for the apartment buildings should be considered on the basic unit of four kanal plot for the apartment buildings.

The enhancement of the commercial area is also be required to be reconsidered from planning point of view as an apartment building having 10 storeys on a plot of 10 kanals would have at least 200 apartments.Talking to Dawn, the RDA chairman said the civic body was allowing a reasonable commercial space in an apartment building which would benefit the owner in monetary terms.

“We allowed construction of 10-storey buildings under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan who has asked civic bodies to construct vertical buildings instead of horizontal to consume less space and accommodate maximum people.”

He said a Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme will be launched in the city and the RDA will choose or identify a road, park or any other area where a housing society will spend money for its improvement.

He said the RDA would engage private housing companies for the CSR programme and all stakeholders would be taken on board. He said initial work had been done.

“The government will not spend any money on improvement of basic infrastructure,” he said.

“We will start the work from Marrir Chowk to Liaquat Bagh and a theme for beautification will be given by the RDA and the private company would work on that theme. After seeing the success of the programme, the RDA will extend the plan from Liaquat Bagh to Fiazabad,” he said.

“It is also decided that the RDA would not issue Provisional Planning Permission to housing schemes in future till they are approved by the authority because developers used this permission for sale and purchase of plots, which is illegal.”

He said a kitchen gardening programme would also launched and the civic body would select 50 houses in the inner town and experts would teach the owners methods to grow plants in their houses.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2019