Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) has launched a drive in the premier port city against structures constructed deviating from the approved plans.
Many buildings, including convention centres, hospitals, shops, high-rise buildings and educational institutes, have been built deviating from approved plans by not keeping parking space and turning residential buildings into commercial ones.
The CDA in its drives against errant buildings conducted in the city on March 2, fined a building of Mission Developers Ltd, a real estate company of Chittagong, with Tk50,000 for renting out parking space.
Besides, educational institutes, including Orbit School and College, Ideal School and College, Udoyon School and Metropolitan Commerce College were warned of tougher actions in the same drive for turning residential buildings into commercial ones.
Abdus Salam, chairman of the CDA, said the drive launched against the buildings constructed in gross violation of building construction rules would aimed at turning the city into a planned and beautiful one.
“We classify the deviated buildings into three distinct categories-minor, medium and major. Out of around 2,00,00 buildings, around 4,000 structures have been built in the city deviating from the approved plans. Moreover, we have already begun a survey in the city to identify the buildings which deviated from the approved plans,” said Shahinul Islam Khan, Chief Town Planner of the CDA.
“The survey which commenced last January will primarily identify structures built on both sides of 19 strategic roads of the city. Upon completion of the survey, we will take action against the violators to a great extent,” added the chief town planner.
The city planners said the CDA should intensify its monitoring and conduct drives on a regular basis against the errant owners who violate rules for constructing buildings in the city.
In most cases, the deviations take place after construction without leaving required space around them or extended after the ground floor narrowing down the space between neighbouring buildings.
Welcoming the newly launched drives, Prof M Ashraf Ali, head, Department of Civil Engineering, Southern University said any kind of deviation from original plans only increased vulnerability.
“The drives should not stop halfway so that the violators cannot get away with defying the rules for construction,” added Prof Ali also former chairman, Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh, Chittagong.
According to a region based survey, at least 78% buildings in the premier port city are vulnerable to earthquake as they are constructed defying earthquake resistant building code.
“Genuine realtors do not violate rules for constructing buildings. Only 10% high-rise buildings are constructed by the realtors while rest buildings are constructed by individuals in the city,” said SM Abu Sufian, chairman of Chittagong standing committee of the REHAB.
“We are going to launch drives against the errant building owners and realtors in a large scale for deviating from approved plans,” warned Khin Won Nu, executive magistrate of the CDA.
The CDA gives permission for constructing structures under two authorisation zones of the city. To provide land use and building construction permits, the CDA has a number of committees like Building Construction Committee, Town Development Committee and Special Project Committee.