194 ‘dangerous’ buildings set for fall

The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has decided to demolish at least 194 decrepit buildings declared ‘most dangerous’ by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and shift the inhabitants of these buildings on temporary basis to apartments in Scheme-33 in order to avoid any tragedy such as the Moosa Lane building collapse, which resulted in the death more than 30 people.
Well-placed sources in the CDGK told Pakistan Today that a high-level committee has been constituted by Karachi District Coordination Officer (DCO) Mohammad Hussain Syed to ensure implementation of the suggestions and immediately start work for demolition of the 194 old buildings; besides shifting the dwellers to government apartments built in Scheme-33 on temporary basis. The committee comprises the area’s respective town administrator and representatives from SBCA, CDGK, police and technical committee on dangerous buildings.
The demolition would initially be undertaken in the old city areas and Jamshed Town.
According to a survey report, there are more than 1,000 old buildings that can be made useable with heavy expenditures but a total of 194 buildings are not even in the condition to be restored or repaired; hence, there is no other way but to demolish them. Despite the buildings being declared dangerous by the building control authority, no action has been taken on over a hundred buildings.
Most of the ‘dangerous’ buildings are located in old city areas, particularly Saddar and its surrounding areas, while the rest are spread across the city in Lyari, Malir, Korangi, Liaquatabad, Kemari and Nazimabad.
The SBCA recently identified over 161 buildings as most dangerous and recommended the city administration to get these buildings vacated and demolish them immediately to ensure safety and security of precious human lives and property. The authority had also warned the inhabitants of these buildings to shift to safer places.
According to the SBCA data, around 99 ‘most dangerous’ buildings are located in the Saddar area, including 17 in Queen’s Quarters, six in Bandar Road Quarters, nine in Ranchore Line Quarters, seven in Tahilram Quarters, 17 in Napier Quarters, four in RY Quarters, two in Lawrence Quarters, 10 in Ghulam Kassam Quarters, 14 in Market Quarters, nine in Ramswami Quarters, four in LR-Quarters. Another 32 such buildings are situated in Saddar that include the Government Nabi Bag School Hall, four buildings in Wadhoomalodhram, five in Serai Quarters, 11 in Soldier Bazaar Quarters, nine in RB-Quarters and two more in Preedy Quarters.
The 11 ‘dangerous’ buildings in Lyari include building number 58 in LY-10, Moosa Lane; 197 in LY-13 Baghdadi; 15 in LY-38 Chakiwara; 2342 excluding Hajiani Mosque; AK-7-K-15-3-8/8 Karabal Karamji Road; Hasim Palace in Block-8 Nawabad; Jamia Masjid Eido Plot No KS-641; 725 in LY Liaquat Colony; Fatima Masjid in Block-8; Gangaram Building at Hilton Road and 1166 Allama Iqbal Colony Gali No 14 Bakra Peri.
Around 13 buildings in Jamshed Quarters and five more in Kemari Quarters besides the Jamia Millia College’s Hostel Block in Drigh Colony have also been declared ‘most dangerous’.
At a recent meeting, attended by CDGK EDOs and representatives from police, fire brigade, SBCA, committee on dangerous buildings and Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planning, DCO Syed had said that the authority concerned should have the record of every building constructed in the city including the date of its establishment, numbers of floors and apartments, and the number of people or families residing in the building. “We all should fight for the protection of human lives. If the lives of people can be secured by making amendments in building control laws, then we will go on with it without any delay,” he added.
The Karachi DCO said that the utility services’ providers should also disallow utility connections on the floors other than approved of the building.