Sardar Shaukat Mehmood khan
In a decisive yet long overdue move, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced a crackdown on illegal housing schemes and encroachments built along the banks of Soan River, Korang Nullah, and several other tributaries and storm water drains intersecting Islamabad. The bold action ordered during a high-level meeting chaired by CDA Chairman and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa signals growing urgency around an environmental issue that has festered for years in plain sight.
But the question remains: Can the CDA, with its chequered enforcement history and mounting political and commercial pressures, truly reclaim Islamabad’s choking watercourses?
From Bhara Kahu to Sohan, from Bani Gala to Burma Town, unauthorized housing colonies and commercial constructions have mushroomed directly atop and along natural mullahs, severely narrowing or completely blocking the drainage channels that act as Islamabad’s lifeline during monsoon rains. The list of violators is extensive and politically sensitive: Gulberg, Ghauri Town, Naval Anchorage, Soan Garden, Chaudhry Farms, parts of DHA and Bahria Town, and even sections of Sector E-11.
These areas have increasingly witnessed flash floods during recent rainy spells and experts blaming urban encroachment on water pathways for amplifying disaster risk. Many of these buildings have been constructed without hydrological studies or No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from CDA. But still this process is continued.
Top CDA officials including Member Planning Dr. Khalid Hafeez, Member Admin & Estate Talat Mehmood, and Member Environment Asfandyar Baloch, along with Chairman CDA have outlined a multi pronged crackdown plan aimed at eliminating illegal constructions on narrowed nallahs and riverbanks in Islamabad, particularly around the Soan River and its tributaries. At the core of the initiative is the classification of all such structures as “dangerous,” citing serious threats to human life and property in case of flooding. The CDA plans to seal these unauthorized residential and commercial buildings, especially those built without proper hydrological studies or CDA approvals.
To reinforce accountability, legal action will be initiated against both developers and occupants found responsible for encroachments. In a bid to avoid forced demolitions, the CDA has also appealed directly to citizens to voluntarily remove illegal structures, framing the move as a step in their own safety and legal compliance.
Moreover, the authority is introducing modern surveillance techniques, including drone monitoring and the use of Google Earth, to identify and prevent the resurgence of encroachments on reclaimed land. To ensure long-term transparency and avoid future violations, the CDA will fully digitalize the approval processes for layout plans, land records, and building maps. This digital shift, coupled with a cashless fee system and enhanced public facilitation centers, aims to streamline urban planning and curb unregulated development in the capital.
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The CDA Chairman made it clear “structures built on nullahs not only violate the law but pose a grave threat to lives and properties during floods. We will not tolerate these anymore”
While the resolve sounds promising, Islamabad’s citizens and urban planners have heard similar declarations earlier in 2020, following flash floods near E-11 and Bani Gala. CDA had announced a “zero tolerance policy” against encroachments. Little followed beyond token demolitions and symbolic notices. Meanwhile, new housing schemes with powerful backers continued to sprawl unchecked.
Many experts question whether CDA’s institutional capacity and political will are strong enough to carry out this sweeping action in a city where even registered housing societies with political affiliations have defied regulatory oversight.
Environmental planners say “this isn’t a technical problem,” but It’s a political one. CDA must be empowered to act without fear or favor. If powerful societies aren’t touched, this campaign will be another cosmetic show.
The plan to declare buildings “dangerous” raises complex legal and humanitarian questions. Thousands of residents now live in homes that may be deemed illegal, but were purchased in good faith from developers operating for years in the open. Will the CDA compensate or resettle affected families? Or will poor and middle-class residents bear the brunt of regulatory negligence?
Moreover, housing experts warn that labeling entire localities as illegal without a broader urban development plan may trigger panic and legal battles.
On humanitarian ground, the CDA needs a well-publicized, phased strategy that separates genuine encroachers from uninformed buyers. Mass demolition without due process will only create backlash.
What’s at stake is not merely law enforcement, but Islamabad’s environmental integrity. The Soan River, once a vital ecosystem, has been reduced to a sludge-filled trench in many parts, fed by untreated sewage and blocked by unauthorized construction. Restoration of its floodplain is not just an urban aesthetic concern but it is crucial for water management, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
CDA’s newfound activism, if genuinely pursued, could serve as a model for other cities grappling with similar encroachment problems. But the success of this campaign will depend on transparency, consistency, and above all is the will to challenge vested interests.
The CDA’s operation against watercourse encroachments may be one of the most critical governance tests Islamabad has faced in recent memory. It pits law against influence, public interest against profit, and environmental sustainability against unchecked urbanization.
Only time will tell whether this crackdown becomes a turning point or yet another unfulfilled promise buried under concrete and silence.
