THEY say better late than never. Revision of the capital’s master plan was long due but both the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and successive governments slept over the issue, therefore, credit goes to Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government for accomplishing the task. The Federal Cabinet has approved the provisional report of the Federal Commission on review of the plan and this has also been made part of the CDA building bylaws, planning rules and parameters.
Formal revision of Islamabad’s master plan would have saved the capital and its dwellers from a multitude of problems they face on an almost daily basis. In the absence of any comprehensive and study-based revision, changes were made in the plan on whimsical and political grounds and as a consequence one sees grave violations and encroachments all over. The salient features of the revision include focus on high rise buildings, formulation of bylaws for buildings on Islamabad Expressway, Murree Road, Lehtrar Road, Park Road, Fateh Jang Road and GT Road. In fact, there is already mushroom growth of structures on these important roads and hopefully strict implementation of the bylaws would help avoid further mess. Approval of building structures for these roads should take care of their future expansion and rapidly growing population around them and traffic volume. The plan of high rise buildings along Islamabad Expressway has the potential not just to generate substantial revenue for CDA but also ease the burden of commercial and economic activities in Islamabad proper. However, construction of high rise buildings in Blue Area might put unbearable burden on the existing infrastructure, which is not enough even to sustain the prevailing commercial activities. A realistic approach for regularization of existing private housing schemes would lead to resolution of many problems being encountered by their inhabitants while relaxation of rules about size of the total land would help provide legal cover to small scale but quality housing societies and schemes that are instrumental in overcoming the shortage of housing units in the twin cities. One hopes similar approach would be followed by Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) as well.
