ISLAMABAD - CDA’s Maroof Afzal has said that the authority is duty-bound to provide all civic amenities to the residents. He said the Authority will utilise the existing resources to make the city beautiful, green, neat and clean.
On the demand of residents of D-12, G-13 and G-14, he directed the CDA Member Engineering and Environment Sanaullah Aman to extend CDA’s sanitation services to the newly established sectors.
He also directed the Engineering and Environment member to make necessary arrangements for the collection and disposal of garbage from these sectors along with provision of other sanitation facilities.
Sanaullah Aman has instructed the formations concerned of the authority to finalise the arrangements to ensure cleanliness of these areas on daily basis.
He said that on the request of the residents, the chairman has directed to provide regular sanitation services to these sectors and the same directions have been conveyed to the sanitation staff. The CDA chairman has directed the authority officials to launch a special anti-litter drive from February 13 in the city.
The cleanliness campaign will start from sectors of ‘I’ series in the first phase. To make this campaign a success, the authority will ensure participation and co-operation of citizen, traders, civil society, students and people from other walks of life in this campaign. Sanaullah Aman will supervise the campaign. Aman further said that in order to improve condition of public toilets at public places, instructions have been issued to authorities to immediately repair 34 public toilets.
Separately, the CDA has announced to install two cable car facilities in the city, an official told APP. According to the official, the project had been lingering on for about a decade and could not move forward due to various reasons.
The project was once shelved following resistance from the environmentalists who foresaw that any such project would degrade the flora and fauna of at the Margalla Hills due to frequent public movement.
However, the project was taken up again during the stint of previous CDA chairman Nadeem Hassam Asif. According to the CDA official, one cable car would be run from Marghazar Zoo to Daman-e-Koh with its second ride towards Makhiyala Peak, close to Pir Sohawa.
The second facility would be set up at Rawal Lake that would take visitors across both sides of the Rawal Lake. The official said the project also includes a Ferris wheel, to be installed at Lake View Park. As per the CDA plan, the Ferris wheel would be around 70 meter high.
Since the original 1893 Chicago Ferris Wheel, there have been eight world’s tallest-ever Ferris wheels. The record holder is the 165-metre Singapore Flyer, opened to the public in March 2008. It is followed by Star of Nanchang of 160 metre and London Eye, 135 meter high.
The official said the CDA was in process of short listing the consultant firm that would prepare the feasibility study of the projects particularly focusing on its impact on the natural beauty of Margalla Hills.
He said the CDA has ordered execution of the project on “Built Operate and Transfer” basis as CDA was short of resources to finance such costly projects.
Earlier, in 2004, the authority had also invited companies to submit bids for setting up a cable car system, a revolving restaurant on the hilltop and an amusement park.
The authority had also planned to install chairlifts between Shakarparian to Rawal Dam and another from Shakarparian to Lok Virsa. But these proposals had been rejected on security grounds and infeasible alignment.