Hundreds of dilapidated buildings in the garrison city demand the attention of officials after an old vacant house near the railway station collapsed during heavy downpour recently.
According to details, an old dilapidated house which was lying vacant for the last 15 years near the railway station collapsed during rain on Saturday night. The debris of the collapsed building fell onto the adjoining street. However, nobody was reported hurt in the incident.
Residents of the area said that the matter was brought into the notice of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) but the civic body turned a blind eye towards the issue. They were of the opinion that the government or owners of dilapidated houses should repair or demolish these structures as they posed a constant threat to the lives of the inhabitants, particularly children playing in the street.
Houses located in the slums of different areas near Gawalmandi, Mareer Hassan, Pirwadhai, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed were in a brittle condition and could collapse during heavy rain.
These houses had outdated drainage system and were prone to the threat of collapse.
On the other hand, owners of the dilapidated buildings said that they had been living in these houses from generations, adding that it was not possible for them to vacate or renovate the residences on their own.
It is worth mentioning here that the city district government of Rawalpindi had issued notices to around 300 dilapidated buildings recently, but no concrete steps had been taken to secure the lives of inhabitants living around these buildings.