Though more than a year has passed, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has failed to get vacated at least 194 buildings earlier declared as ‘most-dangerous’ that can lead to any major mishaps including building collapse, Pakistan Today has learnt.
It is recalled here that the building control authorities and the officials of the now defunct City District Government Karachi (defunct-CDGK) had jointly conducted a detailed survey and decided to demolish these building after shifting their dwellers to another location. However, these authorities seemed least-interested in ensuring safety of human lives as the mentioned buildings could collapse at any time as they were centuries-old, according to sources.
Per agreed plan, the residents of these buildings were to be shifted to the apartments built in Scheme-33 on temporary basis so as to avoid any untoward tragedy similar to what happened at Moosa Lane building in the recent past that took the lives of more than 30 people.
In this regard, sources said that District Coordination Officer (DCO) Mohammad Hussain Syed had also instructed the officials concerned to immediately start demolition of 194 decrepit buildings that had been declared as most dangerous by the authorities concerned. Besides, the dwellers of these dangerous buildings would be shifted to government apartments built in Scheme-33 on a temporary basis, they said.
A high powered committee had been constituted by the DCO that would ensure implementation of the suggestions and launch demolition work on such buildings. The respective town administrator and representative of Sindh Building Control Authority, police, CDGK and technical committee on dangerous buildings have been made the committee members.
Initially, the demolition was to be undertaken in the old city area and various areas of Jamshed Town, the sources said, adding that a survey report had also been prepared in which over 1,000 old buildings could become useable after spending large amounts of money. But, there were some 194 buildings that could not be restored or repaired, hence, there was no other way but to demolish these structures, the sources added.
The most dangerous buildings were located in old city areas particularly in Saddar and its surrounding areas alone while the rest were present in Lyari, Malir, Korangi, Liaquatabad, Keamari and Nazimabad.
The SBCA had recently identified over 161 buildings as most dangerous and had recommended to the city administration to get these buildings vacated and demolished immediately in a bid to ensure safety and security of precious human lives. Besides, the authority had also warned the inhabitants of these buildings to shift to safer places, they further said.
According to SBCA data, available with Pakistan Today, there were some 99 most dangerous buildings in Saddar-I areas that included 17 in Queen Quarters, Bunder Road Quarters (6), Ranchore Line Quarters ( 9), Tahilram Quarters (7), Napier Quarters (17), RY-Quarters (4), Lawrence Quarters (2), Ghulam Kassam Quarters (10), Market Quarters (14), Ramswami Quarters (9), LR-Quarters (4).
In Saddar-II, there were 32 such buildings, which included Government Nabi Bagh School Hall, four buildings in Wadhoomalodhram, Serai Quarters (5), Soldier Bazaar Quarters (11), RB-Quarters (9) and Preedy Quarters (2).
Besides, there were some 11 dangerous buildings in Lyari that included 58, LY-10, Moosa Lane; 197, LY-13 Baghdadi; 15, LY-38 Chakiwara; 2342-Excluding Hajiani Mosque Lyari; AK-7-K-15-3-8/8 Karabal Karamji road; Hasim Palace, Block-8 Nawabad; Jamia Masjid Eido Plot No KS-641; 725 LY Liaquat Colony; Fatima Masjid Block-8; Gangaram Building Hilton Road and 1166 Allama Iqbal Colony Gali No 14 Bakra Peri.
Meanwhile, around 13 dangerous buildings were located in Jamshed Quarters and five in Keamari Quarters besides Jamia Millia College Hostel Block Deh Drigh Colony was also declared as one of the most dangerous buildings.
When Pakistan Today’s scribe tried to visit the office of SBCA director-general, the security staff at the entrance restrained the reporter from entering the office by saying that no outsider was allowed to enter the building.
