Burden on the already overloaded sewerage system of the city would increase in the near future, as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has given permission for the construction of high rise buildings. However, plans to upgrade the decades-old sewage system are yet to be implemented. Problems due to sewerage lines would first emerge at the city’s commercial centre, Blue Area and the Markaz of various sectors in the city, an official said.
The official said pressure on the current sewerage system had started when the CDA reviewed the original plan in the 1980s, and allowed the construction of six-storey buildings on the southern side of Jinnah Avenue, where the commercial plazas are now located, while on the northern side, high-rise buildings of 15 to 19 storeys were allowed. No initiatives were taken to upgrade the sewerage systems to fulfill future requirements while reviewing the master plan, he said.
He said currently a 40-storey building was under construction in Blue Area and another over-35 story building was under construction near the convention centre which would badly affect the already suffering sewerage system. The planning wing, and water and sewerage directorate of the CDA informed higher authorities that the construction of high rise buildings would badly affect the already over-loaded sewerage system, only after the permission for construction had already been given.
The official said the CDA had allowed the construction of multi-storey buildings across the city, which would adversely affect the sewerage system in the whole city. World-over, authorities upgrade systems such as the sewerage and water supply systems before taking such steps. “The CDA not only allowed construction of high rise buildings but also launched new sectors, while plans regarding the upgrade of the sewerage system have not yet been implemented,” he said.
The official said the present sewerage system could not afford the current load, let alone bear the additional load of sewerage during the construction of multi-storey buildings, and after they come into operation. Due to excessive burden on the city’s sewerage system, most of the commercial centres are over flowing, and sanitation problems are increasing with each passing day, he said.
