Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA)’s Technical Committee for Hazardous Buildings on Monday declared 354 buildings as hazardous in the city due to their dilapidated structure.

In a statement, Agha Maqsood, Director General SBCA said that the Authority has also vacated 38 hazardous buildings. 17 of them have been vacated completely while the other 17 have been partly vacated. Four buildings have been declared national heritages.

According to a new list, 215 buildings in Saddar Town have been declared dangerous, 57 in Saddar Town Two, 33 in Lyari, 20 in Jamsheed Town, 9 in Liaquatabad, 4 in Keamari, 3 in Baldia Town, 2 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, 2 in Malir Town, 2 in Shah Faisal and 2 in Gulberg have also declared dangerous.

Buildings in North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Korangi and SITE have also been declared dangerous.

The technical Committee of SBCA has warned that these might collapse any time and the occupants and shopkeepers at these sites have already been warned of the danger.

SBCA’s committee is also conducting a survey of buildings in the city on the directives of Director General SBCA. Of these 316 hazardous declared buildings, 38 of them have been declared national heritage. The SCBA has also launched a campaign to warn the inhabitants through notices to vacate the hazardous buildings as well as announcements being made from mobile vans.

People are also requested to identify the hazardous buildings also inform the SBCA.

Officials of the SBCA asked for the support of law-enforcement personnel to launch the campaign on a priority basis against the then 354 buildings in the city. They responded that the top priority of the government was to ensure the safety of citizens and the government would ensure evacuation of residents from the dangerous buildings.

The commissioner also ordered the deputy commissioner of the South district to conduct a survey regarding dangerous buildings in his district and submit a report to him within three days.

Replying to a question about why the dangerous buildings haven’t been vacated, the deputy commissioner informed that residents have obtained stay orders from the court and the administration is bound to not take any further steps.