Islamabad Citizen Committee President Latif Ahmed Rana said on Wednesday that civic problems were deteriorating day by and day in the federal capital and the local civic body (CDA) was showing lukewarm attitude in resolving them.
Addressing a press conference at a local hotel, Rana said that situation relating to public security was also not satisfactory, as day-light robberies and street crimes were on the rise. The local administration and police were heavily engaged in protocol duties of VVIPs and they had little time to take care of public safety and comfort.
Latif Rana said that they had approached the local administration and CDA many times, seeking their help in addressing the residents’ problems. But there was hardly any outcome. “CDA is itself the biggest problem for the citizen,” he remarked.
He said that they raised the problems even at the level of the prime minister and the Interior Ministry, adding that they had now written letters to heads of local political parties drawing their attention towards the civil problems, since they were going to participate in the forthcoming local bodies’ elections in the federal capital. The aspiring candidates would need to accept the challenges relating to civic amenities.
They should prepare themselves to resolve the problems, particularly those relating to unauthorized encouragement and popping up of illegal ‘kachi abadies’, he said.
The Citizens Committee president said that there was growing illegal and unauthorized construction within and alongside the residential sectors, besides illegal use of residential properties in the form of schools, offices and beauty parlors that had made the lives of the local people miserable.
He said that there was also a problem of parking of vehicles on footpaths in residential as well as commercial areas. Failure to develop already allotted sectors after more than 20 years of allotment was a matter of great concern.
Latif Rana further said there was no maintenance or construction of roads, streets, and footpaths. The city also lacked proper street lights.
He said that augmentation of water supply was required on urgent basis. Present requirement of the capital was 180 million gallons per day, whereas available supply from different sources was 62 million, he said, adding that sewage disposals into rain water nullahs and drainage needed to be rectified.
Latif Rana said about security in the capital that there was no visible presence and patrolling by police and citizens had been left at the mercy of criminals.
