Karachi administration is on heels improving fire fighting capacity of the city in response to the disastrous fires in Baldia Town factory that claimed lives of over 300 workers and the State Life Building inferno.
The KMC Administrator, Mohammad Hussain Syed in his keynote address at the Third Fire and Safety Convention 2012 said all the concerned departments were drafting strategies in cohorts. He added, “However, it is equally important that people in general may also realize their role in matters related to fire safety and prevention.”. He pointed out that fire disasters occur due to carelessness and poor or absolutely no compliance with standard procedures regarding fire safety.
The KMC Administrator on the occasion underscored the relevance of effective disaster management credentials of KMC and capacities of its staff. He enumerated vulnerability of Karachi to varied natural and manmade disasters due to its geographical location and also due to steady increase in its population and unchecked construction activities at different areas of the metropolitan. Hussain Syed also registered his serious concern about rampant indifference among stakeholders, particularly industrialists, viz a viz their responsibilities to insured their assets and workers . he said “unfortunately we have also found that most of the industrial units and factories are not equipped with proper fire- fighting systems. Again workers and other relevant stakeholders also pay no attention to fire safety and this is reflective of a negative mindset. The practice must be adopted at every level as is required in any society where everyone considers safety of others as their top priority”.
KMC administrator reiterated that factory owners should install fire-fighting systems and smoke detectors at their factories as well as houses to avert any serious mishap. Acknowledging that there was poor implementation of fire laws, he said that the government was working vigorously to make effective fire laws and implement them in true letter and spirit. Mohammad Hussain Syed said that the administration was suffering from a lack of resources and disorganization in the fire brigade department.
Karachi has a mere 32 fire-fighting vehicles. Syed said that “initially a fleet of six new fire-fighting vehicles will be added to the system by January 2013”. KMC would also commission an independent board to deal with safety issues in Karachi.
He assured the participants of the program that the board would comprise professionals and experts in disaster management.
