RAWALPINDI:
With the monsoon season approaching, the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, District Council and Evacuee Trust Property Board have issued red notices to owners and tenants of 265 dangerously dilapidated multi-storey buildings across Rawalpindi, directing immediate evacuation and reconstruction.
Authorities have warned that failure to vacate these buildings within 30 days will result in strict action.
Post-evacuation, such buildings will be sealed. The city experiences severe damage during heavy monsoon rains every year, with two to three building collapses typically reported, often resulting in loss of life and property.
Among the affected structures are several British-era buildings, estimated to be between 80 to 120 years old.
A recent survey has deemed them high-risk for residential use.
Despite this, many low-income families continue to reside in them due to low rents.
Some of these properties are owned by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and include shops and markets under its control.
These crumbling structures are mainly located in the city’s old quarters, including Bhabra Bazaar, Trunk Bazaar, Shah Chan Chiragh, Loharan Street, Moti Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Bohar Bazaar, Banni Mohalla, Ghazni Road, Usmanpura, Saddar, Gawalmandi, Ganjmandi, Hamilton Road, Saidpuri Gate, Jungleat Road, Jamia Masjid Road, Mohalla Niariyan, Kartarpura, Mohanpura, Kalan Bazaar, Mochi Bazaar, Purana Qila, Sabzi Mandi, Qadeemi Mohalla, and Akal Garh.
Several other dilapidated structures are also reported in Rawalpindi’s suburban areas, including the vicinity of Lal Haveli.
In many cases, six to eight families have been living in small three-storey houses for over five decades, paying only a few thousand rupees in rent. Similar conditions exist in government-owned properties managed by the Evacuee Trust Board. Notices have been issued to all such residents. Some tenants have challenged these notices in court.
The notices also warn that if any untoward incident occurs during the monsoon due to non-compliance, tenants could face legal charges. Authorities have stated that an operation to evacuate and seal the buildings will begin after May 15 if the orders are not followed.
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