Massive digging operations for a nearby residential project have placed a public girls school in Islamabad in a dangerous position, leaving the structure vulnerable on three distinct sides.
Officials at the Federal Directorate of Education expressed alarm regarding the status of Islamabad Model School for Girls located in Kurri, stating that stripping away massive quantities of dirt around the property compromised the structure and endangered numerous pupils and employees.
The Federal Directorate of Education communicated via a letter dispatched to the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority on October 26, noting that ongoing digging placed the educational facility near a steep vertical drop.
An inspection of the location verified that the digging activity connected to the Margalla Orchard Scheme, as detailed in the correspondence.
Characterizing the digging as unscientific and unregulated, the Federal Directorate of Education cautioned that losing adjacent ground support brought the structure into a severe state.
"With the foundation weakened and perimeter support stripped away, the facility poses an imminent physical threat to the lives of hundreds of young female students, faculty and support staff," the letter stated.
The directorate called upon the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority to stop all digging close to the school instantly and perform structural repairs, which involve building protective retaining walls and extra strengthening steps.
Conversely, Faiz Ahmed Sial, a spokesperson for the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority, rejected any connection to the matter, reporting that a site check performed following the notification proved the school sat outside their residential project limits.
"This issue does not pertain to FGEHA. It is outside our boundaries," he said.
An additional representative for the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority proposed that the Federal Directorate of Education might have contacted the wrong agency, because the school might sit inside the neighboring Margalla Enclave project built by the Capital Development Authority alongside DHA.
"Maybe the school area falls within the CDA scheme, which is adjacent to our scheme, but it certainly does not belong to us and has nothing to do with our Margalla Orchard Scheme," the official said.
