• Scores of buildings operating without occupancy certificates amid CDA negligence
• High-rises, 80 structures in twin cities damaged due to Tuesday’s earthquake

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed in implementing building codes in various parts of the city, as hundreds of high-rises, both commercial and apartment complexes, have been constructed without due approval from the civic agency in the city prone to earthquakes.

On the other hand, cracks appeared on at least five buildings in Rawalpindi prompting notices from civic authorities which declared at least 80 structures dangerous and also formed teams for inspections of high-rises across the garrison city in light of the scary quake.

Cracks appear on buildings

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Islamabad “slightly damaged” some buildings, including a major apartment complex in Sector E-11 and a high-rise in Blue Area which houses the offices of the PIA.

This needs to serve as a wake-up call for the city managers to ensure all buildings in Islamabad are built in accordance with the building code of 2007, which was introduced two years after the devastating earthquake of 2005.

However, CDA, owing to its negligence, still does not have a complete record of buildings in the capital territory, particularly in sectors E-11 and H-13 which appear to be “no-man’s land” for the civic body officials.

A large number of buildings in these areas – the heart of the city but not acquired by CDA – were constructed without the approval of the authorities concerned and the civic agency never made any serious attempts to enforce its by-laws in these sectors.

The 13-storey Khudadad Heights, located on Margalla Road in E-11, sustained multiple cracks in several floors as a result of the earthquake which shook the building like a pendulum.

During a visit to the said building, Dawn noticed that cracks appeared on walls on the ground floor, which were being remedied by the administration through paint and concrete coating. However, the building remained operational contrary to initial rumours about evacuation.

“Last night was horrible; the building trembled like a pendulum. Most occupants did not initially react, but after the second shock, which was very strong, everyone rushed out of the complex. I saw many people yelling and crying,” said Hasan Shah, a student who lives on the third floor.

He said that within a few minutes, almost everyone managed to exit the building and people spent almost two hours in front of the building before going back inside.

Unauthorised construction

Since the CDA does not deal with the majority of buildings in rural areas, particularly those along Lehtrar Road, Expressway, Fateh Jang Road, and Murree Road (Bhara Kau), the high-rises in these areas have been constructed without its approval.

Sector E-11 is notorious for unauthorised construction: more than 70 buildings which house apartments, offices, and restaurants, are built in the sector without due approval. In the same vein, apartment buildings are constructed on 8-marla and 10-marla plots.

It is relevant to note here that Doxiadis Associates, the Greek firm that developed the master plan for the federal capital, was aware of the region’s susceptibility to frequent earthquakes.

The master plan stated that if built properly, the buildings in Islamabad should be able to withstand strong quakes that originate in the Hindu Kush mountain range.

But, it seems, heed was not paid to this advice and poorly constructed buildings dot the landscape. During the last major quake in 2005, Margalla Towers in F-10 collapsed, killing over 50 people, for the same reasons.

Besides a large number of unapproved buildings, there are a number of high-rises operating without occupancy certificates.

The owners got the layout plan approved by the CDA but after completing the construction they did not get completion or occupancy certificates. According to sources in the CDA, less than five high-rise commercial and apartment buildings in the entire capital have completion certificates.

After the quake, the CDA formed various teams to carry out surveys of high-rise buildings that fall in unplanned areas and housing societies. These teams will complete the survey and issue fresh soundness and stability certificates signed by enlisted structural engineers. DG Building Control Shehbaz Naqvi, however, remained unavailable despite repeated attempts.

Vacate or repair

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, over 80 buildings were declared dangerous by civic authorities in the city and cantonment areas and notices have been issued to the administration of dilapidated buildings.

The occupants have been asked to either repair or vacate the buildings declared dangerous. The directives came after cracks appeared in at least five buildings in Pindi following the earthquake which lasted for 30 seconds.

A special team, comprising representatives of Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Rawalpindi Cantonment Board, Assistant Commissioner City, and AC Cantt has been constituted to assess the damages done to the buildings.

The special team constituted by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner was tasked to conduct a survey of the affected buildings and submit a report. If cracks appeared in the buildings were dangerous, then the buildings would be evacuated, the authorities said.

Meanwhile, two people suffered bone fractures after jumping from a multi-storey building in panic, while seven people who fainted because of the tremors were moved to hospitals.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2023