Sir: The decision by PM Imran to stop horizontal spread of cities and protect green agriculture belts on their periphery is a step in right direction to arrest already polluted environment that poses serious health hazards.
Most of these irregularities by land mafia occurred in nexus with statutory organizations like CDA, DHA, LDA, KDA, MDA, Cantonment Boards etc and failure of state institutions to enforce laws in existence.
High rise buildings are vital to protect environment. Permission to build high rise apartment buildings, offices and shopping plazas places on statutory organizations the responsibility that proper safety measures are provided by builders to protect citizens from fire, with adequate fire exits and parking space.
Fire hydrants must be located in proximity to such buildings while firefighting equipment has capability to reach top level of these structures. The existing fire-fighting equipment lacks capability to extinguish fire beyond four of five levels above ground. There is hardly a building with adequate functional fire sprinklers and exits or smoke equipment, although building laws make them mandatory.
In a country facing acute power shortages residents are forced to use electric generators run on gasoline or diesel. Building control authorities which must ensure that safety is not compromised and storage for fuel supply meet laid down specifications. Unless these measures are adopted and enforced the high rise structures will be potential fire infernos leading to fatalities.
This places upon the government responsibility to put in place professional town planners free from pressure of builders and the political will of the executive to penalize officers whose negligence or corrupt practices may lead to culpable homicide. For this state officials and regulatory institutions must have no conflicts of interest nor be commercial beneficiaries of such projects.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore