CDA to adoptunified plan to address encroachment issue

Islamabad:Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Muhammad Ali Randhawa on Monday directed that a centralised and unified planning approach be adopted to address the issue of encroachment, violation of building laws and urban sprawl.

Chairing a meeting on Geo-Spatial Land Survey and Encroachment, the CDA chairman emphasised the need for enhanced monitoring through drones with advanced tools for continuous surveillance of land use and urban development

The meeting was attended by the Member (Planning and Development), Member (Estate), Director General (Planning), and the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of CDA, Director (DMA) along with the senior officers from the concerned Wings and formations.

During the meeting, chairman CDA was briefed on the Geo-Spatial Technology project, an initiative aimed at addressing the issues of encroachment on CDA-acquired land, the unregulated growth of informal settlements, and the challenges posed by urban sprawl.

The meeting was briefed about the recent geo-spatial survey carried out by CDA with the help of the latest technologies including satellite imagery provided by Suparco. The survey was done in key commercial areas, including important markets and commercial hubs of Islamabad, to identify encroachment, violations of building by laws and land use planning.

The meeting also discussed the real-time images being used from Suparco to help track changes in land usage and identify encroachments as well in the city.

The meeting further discussed the importance of devising Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to streamline efforts for geo-spatial survey with clear-cut timelines.

The issue of encroachment was discussed in detail, with a special focus on reporting and monitoring on a daily basis. CDA chairman directed to carry out operations in complete with all formations involved in the anti-encroachment drive and to work in close coordination with the district administration.

He also directed to devise a mechanism for ensuing non recurrence of encroachment in the clear land. CDA chairman directed to register FIRs against those involved in illegal encroachments time and again, in order to prevent any recurrence in the future.