District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood has banned all ongoing construction activities in Shah Aalmi area and also ordered for sealing under-construction buildings situated there.
He further directed the LDA officials for carrying out an immediate survey of plazas and multi-storey structures that had been raised in violation of building bylaws in the locality.
He gave these instructions while supervising debris removal operation of the building, which had collapsed in Shah Aalmi area on Thursday. Director General Lahore Development Authority Raja Muhammad Abbas, District Co-ordination Officer Muhammad Ijaz, SP City Rana Ahmad Hasan and other officials were also present on the occasion.
The Nazim ordered for sealing the collapsed building, apprehending its owner and receiving debris removal expenses from him. He also directed to get blood money from the owner for the heirs of deceased labourer who had died during the incident as well as treatment expenditures for the wounded labourers besides making payment of compensation for the cars and other property that had been damaged after the collapse of building.
He also directed DG LDA that in the light of site plan of plazas approved by LDA; a comprehensive survey report should be prepared about additional storey and basements that had been unlawfully constructed by the owners of the plazas situated in this area. He directed District Co-ordination Officer that officials of district Revenue department should later verify the report prepared by LDA. He also ordered for setting up a rescue camp by the Civil Defence Organisation on the spot.
Talking to newsmen on this occasion, Amer said that in view of massive public complaints regarding rampant illegal constructions in Shah Aalmi area in violation of building bylaws, the City District government, Lahore, had been requesting local traders for the past one and a half year for refraining from this activity that had endangered precious human lives but to no avail. After this tragic incident, the CDG has decided to take action itself in this regard and had stopped ongoing construction activity for saving precious human lives, he added.
The district Nazim, who is also chairman of the Lahore Development Authority, assured that any LDA official found guilty of involvement in illegal activity would be severely dealt with. He observed that for minting more money as quickly as possible, the owners of plazas in Shah Aalmi area had been involved in erecting additional storey and digging basements of high rise buildings, without consulting structure engineers and other experts about sustainability of such structures.