Dilapidated buildings pose serious threat to life

Rawalpindi
The second spell of heavy rainfall of monsoon is expected during next 12 to 24-hours but the concerned authorities of city district government and cantonment boards have failed to get 300 dilapidated buildings vacated so far.
Similarly, majority of gypsy families settled near ‘Nullah Leh’ and Soan River have not shifted to safer locality and as per routine concerned authorities have not taken action against them.
Scores of old buildings in Rawalpindi city and cantonment are in very poor condition and are posing life threat to thousands of residents. These buildings become more dangerous during Monsoon season.
It merits mentioning here that two dilapidated buildings have recently collapsed due to rain but the concerned authorities are not taking any practical step to demolish such buildings.
The social circles of Rawalpindi city and cantonment have appealed to higher authorities of the concerned department to take notice of the situation and take concrete steps to get the dilapidated buildings vacated at least during monsoon season to avoid any untoward incident.
When ‘The News’ contacted Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Rawal Town Mir Muhammad Akmal, he said that they have issued warning notices to all residents settled in dilapidated buildings. He also admitted that gypsy people were yet living near ‘Nullah Leh and Soan River as per routine while Met Office once again predicted heavy rainfall during next 24-hours. “I have directed Town Officer (P&C) and Town Officer (Regulation) to take up this serious matter to get dilapidated buildings vacated before heavy rainfall to avoid any untoward incident,” he claimed. He also assured to shift gypsy people to some other safer areas in Monsoon.
After torrential rains and its devastation happened some days back, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board initiated a snap survey of dilapidated buildings located on the banks of nullahs and in low-lying areas to evacuate the residents to safer places, sources said. The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board has already declared around 121 dilapidated buildings located in Saddar, Gawalmandi, Qasai Chowk, Lalkurti, People’s Colony and some other areas.
A survey conducted by ‘The News’ revealed that majority of old dilapidated buildings are located in Arya Mohallah, Bhabra Bazaar, Mareer Hassan, Sarafa Bazaar, Ganjmandi, Waris Khan, Liaquat Road, Bara Bazaar, Namak Mandi, Ratta Amral, Pirwadhai and along Benazir Bhutto Road.
Talking to ‘The News’ residents of different areas said that old dilapidated buildings in Rawalpindi pose a grave threat to the lives of people living in and around them, but the concerned authority is taking the matter lightly even in Monsoon season as well. Some sections of these dilapidated buildings have already collapsed. Many of these buildings are locked for years, they said.
People living around these buildings also said that the concerned authority is perhaps waiting for a disaster to spring into action. “We have submitted several applications to the concerned authority to demolish the old dilapidated buildings or start renovation work on them but we failed to get a positive response,” Nisar Ahmed Malik, a resident of Bhabra Bazaar said.
Basharat Hussain, a resident of Namak Mandi said that he is living adjacent to an old dilapidated building, which is locked for a long time. The upper portion of the building has already collapsed in heavy rainfall received some days back in start of Monsoon season. “The other portion might collapse anytime in next heavy rainfall but the concerned authority is not taking any action”, he said.
Mumtaz Haider, Nasir Mehmood, Shakil Ahmed and several other shopkeepers of Ganjmandi said that old dilapidated buildings pose a grave risk. These buildings could collapse anytime particularly in monsoon season, therefore, the concerned authority should act immediately, they said. They also said that some of poor buildings are locked for a long time but concerned authority not taking action against it.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Director Dr Muhammad Hanif said that most parts of the country including twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would receive heavy rainfall on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. “We have already informed local management to adopt precautionary measures during heavy rainfall,” he said.