ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced to carry out survey of all the high-rise buildings in the federal city with the assistance of reputed structure and design experts/firms to revisit the existing building codes in the aftermath of the unprecedented earthquake of October 26.
CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal has visited different areas of the Capital city to inspect high rise buildings in Blue Area, F-10, F-11 and G-11 areas of the city. He was accompanied by the Member Administration and Estate, Amer Ali Ahmed and technical team consisting of Director General (Design), Director Building Control and other concerned officers of Planning and Engineering Wings.
During his visit, Maroof Afzal met the management of the high rise buildings, residents of the residential apartments and listen their complaints. Directions were passed on the spot for immediate redressal of the issues confronting the residents of the apartment buildings.
The CDA chairman said that recent earthquake was unprecedented and a warning to take measures for overcoming shortcomings, if any, in building codes and preparedness for the emergency situation. He said that CDA regularly carries out emergency preparedness drills and building audits of different structures and suggests measures for overcoming the defects and shortcomings in case of any emergency.
He said that CDA’s Emergency and Disasters Management constituted different teams after the earthquake to inspect the high rise buildings and find out the shortcomings in the emergency equipments installed in the buildings as well as the entry and exit points during the emergency situation.
CDA, after seeking the input of structure engineers / firms would study the data to revise the building codes in light of recommendations by the structure assessment consultants. He said that CDA is fully cognizant of the situation and would take all possible measures to cope with any emergency situation. A meeting in this regard would be held to review the situation and totality wherein input of all stakeholders would be sought.
