Daily Times

KARACHI: More than 60,000 illegal commercial, residential and industrial buildings have been constructed with in the last two years in Karachi in full collaboration with Sindh Building Control Authority.

Controller Demolition SBCA woke up when a four-storey residential building collapsed in July 2017in Liaquatabad, claiming six lives and leaving many others injured besides damaging a nearby building that came under the debris.

After this incident, Sindh Minister Local Government, Jam Khan Shoro also pretended to wake up and took serious notice of the incident and then directed SBCA to start survey of illegal buildings in Karachi.

SCBA started the survey of the buildings which were built in violation of approved plans in 21 zones and 576 registered and unregistered Katchi abadis.

The Authority under cosmetic operation has so far partially demolished some portions besides sealing 138 buildings in different parts of the city.

It is pertinent to mention here that SBCA only takes action against illegal built structures in city on complaints from general public or from any government institution but does not act on its own as its their sheer responsibility.

The areas where partial action has been taken includes Saddar Town, Jamsheed Town, Liaquatbad Town, Gulberg Town, North Nazimabad Town, North Karachi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town and Malir Town. Only upper storey or structures have been partly demolished.

No action has started in Lyari Town, Keamari Town, Baldia Town, Orangi Town, SITE Town, Landhi Town Korangi Town, Shah Faisal Town, Bin Qasim Town and Gadap Town.

In industrial zone, Landhi, Korangi, New Karachi, Federal B Area and SITE, it seems that SCBA has closed eyes and was reluctant to take any action.

Agha Maqsood Abbas, Director General SBCA, says that he has given instructions to demolish all illegal structures to the demolishing department of the entity it seems that the directives are just to show performance.

“Builders and private parties adopt prescribed building procedures to get building plans passed for building houses or one plus two flat schemes”, informed Agha. But they keep violating the restriction on building above ground plus-two.

Agha was of the view that builders and private parties after receiving notices by them seek stay orders from the courts, how ever some builders have informed that stay orders are obtained with full cooperation of the officials of SBCA and they are paid hefty amounts for their support which goes even reaches the top man.

The law department of Authority has totally failed pleading any of these cases in the courts in appropriate manner resulting in stay orders being granted to builders and private parties of illegal constructions.

Published in Daily Times, August 25^th 2017.