Housing societies likely to face tough road restrictions

Author: By Muhammad Asad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board is likely to set road access restrictions on private housing societies in its meeting today (Friday).

The board meeting will be held at the headquarters of CDA under the chairmanship of Islamabad Mayor Shaikh Ansar Aziz. The meeting is expected to discuss 12 agenda items, including approving the CDA’s budget estimates for 2017-18. A summary, forwarded by the CDA Planning Wing, about road access requirements will again be discussed at the meeting. The matter had been deferred by the board in its previous meeting with directions to rationalise the recommendations. The summary states that CDA will not issue a no objection certificate (NOC) to any housing society that lacks at least 60 feet wide road access to main roads. The summary further categorises the road access requirements according to the area of housing societies.

The housing societies with an area between 400 to 600 kanals will need 60 feet wide road access. Societies having 600 to 1000 kanals area will require 80 feet wide road access.

Furthermore, it will be mandatory for housing societies above 1000 kanals to provide 100 feet wide road access to its residents.

“The decision is going to be taken by the civic body keeping in view the transportation needs of the future and to avoid traffic jams,” sources told Daily Times

“The decision will at least restrict the owners of housing societies to provide a wide road access to its residents. It will also discourage the opening of new projects on narrow roads in the city,” sources said.

Currently, over 100 housing societies are functioning without the approval of the CDA in the city. These have been declared illegal.

Unfortunately, most people remain unaware of the status of such housing societies. They have no other option but to invest there because the CDA has not opened any new sector recently. “People need affordable living. This is being offered by these illegal housing societies. CDA should launch new sectors for the middle class if it wants to discourage illegal housing societies,” an officer of the authority said.