The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and City District Government Lahore (CDGL) environment wing are set fall under the judicial hammer after it was disclosed that neither acted against the illegal construction of the Kharak factory in a residential area, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday. The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan’s suo moto action on the tragedy which caused 24 deaths, has sent a chill down the spine of LDA DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, DCO Ahad Cheema, LDA Chairman and CDGL Environment Wing Head (Environment District Officer) Tariq Zaman. The initial inquiry submitted by the Home Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif has also held LDA and CDGL responsible for the incident.
Pay up commercialisation fee: Information available to Pakistan Today reveals it was the LDA which issued a notification to factory situated on Kharak Stop, New Town on Multan Road to pay its commercialisation fee and sealed it for non-payment.
LDA commercialisation branch served show cause notices to the factory, Orient Lab, on May 12, 2006 to pay commercialisation fees. The notice states commercial activity in the residential building was prohibited. It warned factory owners to pay the fee forthwith or get ready for the factory to be sealed. Later, LDA Town Planning Branch issued another letter under LDA Act 1975 section 40 (1) on May 20, 2006 showing New Town in its controlled area. The letter warned owners against constructing a third storey of the factory in violation of the rules and warned it to cease activity immediately or face stern action.
On August 2006, LDA Town Planning Wing DIG Police (Operation), SP (Security), SP (Headquarter) sent a letter bearing number 1462 asking police to clamp down on the illegal factory. The letter asked contingents of ladies police to accompany them and set August 15 as date for action. Copies of the letter were dispatched to LDA Town Planning Director Incharge, LDA Senior State Officer, LDA DSP, Town Planning Demolition Incharge and Sabzazar Police Station SHO.
Keeping itself at bay: In a bid to keep itself at bay from the incident, the LDA stayed away from the rescue operation. However, it swung into action after the CM inquiry report did not take off and the SC had to take suo moto action. On February 9, LDA directed all directors, heads of estate management and town planning wings to immediately initiate a survey of all LDA-controlled and notified private housing schemes to identify commercial buildings, factories and industrial units being operated in residential areas.
LDA DG ordered officials concerned to issue notices to owners of identified industrial units directions to immediately stop manufacturing and shift their business outside city areas. “If anyone fails to shift his business or workplace from residential areas to the city outskirts, officials should seal such premises with immediate effect,” the DG notified. He directed all departmental heads to form special teams and assign them tasks carry out the relevant survey urgently.
No CDGL environment survey: Blame has also been put on CDGL Environment Wing Head Tariq Zaman. Despite working as District Officer (Environment) for a decade, no survey has been conducted to identify factories in residential areas.
In, 2008, DCO Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta ordered him to stop the operation of illegal factories in residential areas, specifically in the Walled City, but Tariq Zaman did not take any action. Recently, Commissioner Jawad Rafique Malik directed him to get criminal cases registered against illegal factories but he remained unmoved.
In May 2011, Tariq headed a team and sealed 19 steel mills in northern Lahore due to violations of environment laws due to substandard fuel use. Nevertheless, no action was taken against other factories polluting the area.
Shifting responsibilities: DCO Lahore and LDA chairman Ahad Cheema informed journalists on the factory site that New Town was under the territorial and commercial jurisdiction of the LDA and not Allama Iqbal Town Municipal Administration.
However, LDA director Estate Management told Pakistan Today that New Town did not belong to LDA but was a property of Allama Iqbal Town. However, a CDGL Commercialisation Inspector said the LDA was denying the facts to save its skin.
