The District Municipal Administration (DMA) failed to protect the precious green belts of the Capital in their worst negligence as 25 car parking’s illegally operating on green belts in Mauve areas violating both CDA and environment bylaws, an official of the administration told Daily Times.
According to Islamabad Master plan, mauve category consists those areas which are adjacent to Kashmir Highway mostly G-sector of Islamabad where on green belt any kind of activities are prohibited under the laws of civic agency as well environment. The authorities issued permission licenses to some of those car parking illegally.
An official of the DMA told that the administration only issued license to the KRL hospital in G-9 sector as other car parkings in various areas are operating on their own behalf. When asked how license was issued to KRL hospital on green belt for car parking he didn’t replied.
According to the laws DMA is responsible to restore green belts or other environment land from land grabber using it for car parking’s or commercial activities but no appropriate process started till yet.
A source told not only the car parkings are using green belts with the backdoor support of the senior officials of the DMA as well they are getting bribes from private buildings. It’s pertained to mention here that senior brass of the DMA also issued licenses to the buildings stocks owners on green belt in various areas of Islamabad illegally.
According to a document available with this scribe DMA administration also issued license for commercial activities to various stakeholders on green land where under the “Clean & Green Pakistan” project initiated by the government trees were planted. The owner of the commercial stocks not only destroyed the trees of the government as well established other stocks one sole license as the officials of DMA getting bribes from them on the name of department.
The DMA Director Zaffar Iqbal in a response to the Enforcement wing of the civic agency argued that if CDA has some reservations on these license issued by DMA we will canceled them but till yet the issue is pending and no action was taken by enforcement wing or DMA.
A source in DMA told that the authorities not only issued license on green belts as well for fishery purposes. Only few individuals have obtained license while others are giving bribes to the DMA doing fishing without having license.
According to the investigation of Daily Times, DMA also issued couple of license to various shops and hotels under open space due to which the enforcement wing of the civic agency facing hurdles in the anti-encroachment operation.
A source in the Enforcement wing of CDA told that mostly G-sector of Islamabad are crowded where even the general passers are facing hurdles due to the huge encroachment as DMA administration issued license to them to legalized their illegalities under the open space licensing. He added that if they have open space license we can’t touch them under the law.
An official of the DMA told that various hotels, private buildings car parking are operating on green belts some have obtained license while the other are enjoying free status due to close bonds with DMA.
When contacted DMA high official Zaffar Iqbal about the issue of car parking illegally operating on green belt, he was remained unavailable for comments.
Published in Daily Times, February 15th 2019.
