RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) on Friday sent new building by-laws to the Ministry of Defence for final notification so it could be implemented next year.

The board approved the by-laws to replace the ones formulated in 1985. The defence ministry would notify the new building by-laws after getting an input from the Ministry of Law and Justice.A senior official of the RCB told Dawn that the basic aim of the introduction of the new by-laws was to meet the new urbanisation trend and bring uniformity in the cantonment areas.

He said the civic body had made building by-laws in 1985 and since then population had increased manifold and there was a dire need to amend them.

He said there were changes in commercial buildings while modern trends have been accommodated in the domestic bylaws. The new building by-laws were prepared after getting inputs from the elected members and residents.

`Earlier, 25 per cent of the total area of a commercial plaza was fixed as a parking space but in the new by-laws the parking area is allocated as per the requirement of the area and would be more than 25pc, he said.

`Parking area and commercial plazas` entry will be made on modern lines andthe entry and exist points for special persons` wheelchairs will be necessary.

He said two per cent of the parking area would be allocated for special persons.

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing areas would also be part of the building plans.

`Two fire exists would be allocated in commercial areas, one for commoners and the second for special persons,` he said.

The height of commercial plazas would be on the basis of the land. He said land test would be held in the area before start of the construction of any building.

By-laws for houses Three floors will be allowed for fivemarla plots but 10 marla and bigger plots would have only two floors.

The official said under the existing by-laws the RCB did not approve building plans for three floors in residential areas.

`Due to the demand of people threefloors for five marla plots have been allowed. This was also allowed because large families mostly use small houses and they required more rooms.

He said the by-laws for residential areas had been formed as per the requirement of the modern days.

He said after expansion of the housing sector and development of modern housing societies like DHA and Bahria Town, the RCB wanted to improve the infrastructure and cater to the mushroom growth of urbanisation in the cantonment areas.

When contacted, RCB spokesman Qaiser Mehmood said Cantonment Executive Officer Sibtain Raza played a major role in getting the old by-laws changed.

He said the new building by-laws had been sent to RCB`s parent department for notification after which it would be implemented.