Residents of Sector G-8 are faced with countless problems which have arisen in this sector due to rising encroachments, a poor sewerage system, dangling naked electricity wires and a lack of parking facilities.
G-8 markaz is one of the oldest and busiest business centres of the town houseing a number of private and public sector organizations’ offices, including NADRA, National Book Foundation, National Education Foundation, Islamabad Public Library. Two public sector hospitals; Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Nuclear Medicine, Oncology and Radiotherapy Institute (NORI), are also located in the this sector.
A look at the G-8 markaz, residential areas, roads and marketplaces shows encroachments on the rise, depriving pedestrians and motorists of free passage. Pakistan Today found G-8 Markaz full of car dealers who are using car parking areas and public roads to display their vehicles while the shoppers and visitors struggle to find parking space. CDA has turned a blind eye towards the plight of this sector which is situated in the heart of the capital, and only a sector away from CDA’s own offices.
The problems faced by residents are increasing daily as the sector turns into an ugly looking place full of difficulties for shoppers, traders and patients. The encroached pavements have made it hard for visitors to walk through markets while dangling electricity wires endanger the lives and property of traders and shoppers. The recreational areas of the sector are also not available for the residents of G-8 as most areas are either inundated in rainwater or require immediate maintenance. Talking to Pakistan Today, a number of residents criticised the concerned authorities for not taking any action against shopkeepers, and in particular, car dealers who have encroached upon footpaths and parking areas.
Residents also feel that G-8 suffers from severe air and noise pollution, emanating from a number of auto workshops near the residential areas. “Lack of car parking space, automobile workshops, continuous construction work on roads, lack of waste disposal areas and dangling naked electricity wires around the market areas are a public nuisance and amount to noise and air pollution,” said a resident.
During a visit, Pakistan Today witnessed saw that car dealers not only hog up parking area but also annoy residents with the perpetual washing of their cars, which makes walkways wet and muddy while the water erodes the road.
“Residents of a nearby slum area are a constant security threat,” said Kashif, a G-8 resident. “These people are constantly roaming and loitering about the residential areas and there are no security officials deployed to keep an eye on them. Although the Community Police Centre is established in G-8 markaz, we can not trust them to deliver justice in case of any mishaps.”
The play grounds near G-8 Markaz are in a shambles, with all the swings broken and the grass over grown. “I have been coming to this play ground since I was a child, but now the grass is over grown and the park is in a dilapidated condition,” said Osama, a student of 6th grade.
A visitor to G-8 markaz, Hamza Khan said that shopping has become a nuisance at G-8 markets. Another shopper, Lalarukh Farooq complained about bad hygiene conditions of the market where sewage water keeps gushing out of drains and staining the clothes of the visitors. Residents of G-8 also complained about the lack of water supply, the 7-8 hours load shedding, and low supply of gas in winter. “Water supply to our residence is suspended at 7am and we do not get a drop of water until 10 pm. Further, the water filtration plant is too away from our houses,” complained a resident.
Car parking is another major problem confronted by the visitors, who have to wait for long periods of time to find space to park their vehicles. “It takes a lot of time to roam around and find a place for parking,” said a motorist. He said that the situation has gotten worse now, as some offices situated in the markets have reserved huge spaces for their employees’ vehicles. “There should be a separate parking lot for the vehicles of employees as they need the parking spaces for the whole day while shoppers need to park for hardly a few hours,” he said.
When contacted, a CDA official said that CDA has devised a comprehensive plan to launch an anti-encroachment drive in the city and that CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi has already held a number of meetings with the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries and traders of markets to seek their support from them to make the drive successful.
