Private educational institutions functioning in the residential areas of the federal capital are not only causing inconvenience to the locals but also resulting in traffic jam on the thoroughfares during school timings.
A majority of such educational institutions share their walls with houses, forcing the residents to limit their mobility when schools and tuition academies are opened or closed. Furthermore, situation is worsened by the vendors standing outside these institutions, as they hamper smooth traffic flow and are a continued source of agony for residents.
Although, relevant laws are available to check the trend but these are being violated in many sectors of Islamabad with impunity, while the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and city administration never paid attention to shift educational institutions from residential neighbourhoods to the reserved places, a demand seconded by citizens who are fed up with the situation. It seems that the authorities concerned are reluctant to take tackle the issue.
Fawad Ali, a resident of Sector G-10, described these educational institutions a source of multiple problems, saying the long queues of vehicles parked by visitors outside the schools had made their life miserable.
Another local, Muhammad Irfan, pointed to the fact that the owners of these schools were minting money at the cost of the people living in these areas.
A senior official of the CDA said the negligence on the part of the high ups was resulting in an increased number of private schools in the residential areas with each passing day. Under the Islamabad Residential Sectors Zoning Regulation 2005, there was a ban on nonconforming use of the residential houses and the rules empowered the CDA to cancel the allotment of plot if an owner violated the laws persistently, he added.
The official noted that the illegal practice of using residential structures for commercial purposes was also a reason for the housing shortage and increase in the rent of residences.
He admitted that people established schools with the connivance of CDA officials, adding that the CDA made several plans to shift educational institutions and impose ban on the establishment of new ones but the authorities never bothered to ensure execution.
The official said two years ago the CDA had decided to discourage the use of residential properties for commercial ventures. However, he said that the CDA in consultation with the schools’ management would finalise whether to shift or not the existing private schools from residential to commercial or other specified areas.
According to some official estimates, there are over 1,400 public and private schools in the federal capital, which accommodate thousands of students.
Another CDA official termed the problem as a flaw in Islamabad’s master plan and said planners had not reserved any space for private educational institutions while developing the federal capital.
CDA Deputy Director Public Relations Ramzan Sajid said the authority had issued notices to the owners of all schools for violating the bylaws. “Establishment of schools in the residential areas is nonconforming use, therefore, the CDA would take strict action against the owners of buildings who allowed their houses for similar use,” he said.
