Claiming every now and then of having torn down illegal structures in the city through press statements, Sindh Building Control Authority, regrettably, so far could not get vacated some 194 buildings, used for residential purpose, already declared 'dangerous' by the defunct city government Karachi, that could become a death-trap for hundreds of families dwelling in it.
The administrator of Karachi Municipal Corporation, Muhammad Hussain Syed, in a meeting on August 10 this year, had ordered immediate demolition of 194 buildings keeping in view its shabby and unsafe structure for living. He had also formed a committee comprising officials from SBCA, CDGK, and SBCA technical committee for dangerous buildings and police to look after the entire process of demolition and safe relocation of dwellers to designated locations.
An official of the SBCA technical committee for dangerous buildings, requesting anonymity, told that non-seriousness of concerned high-ups of building control authority and defunct town administrations is the cause behind non-implementation of the orders. He said SBCA issues directives for demolition of buildings while rest of the exercise lies with respective Town Administrations (TA). He further said defunct TAs had also been facing some obstacles to get those buildings vacated as dwellers offer stern resistance to abandon the homes where they had been living for decades.
The official stated that no progress could be achieved except paper works and meetings in this regard. He also informed that a meeting chaired by administrator three months ago had also identified some 1,000 buildings in Karachi, which could be revamped if considerable sum of money was spent on it. Dismally, no one among the officials concerned pay heed to it.
Sindh Buildings Control Ordinance 1979 provides that "If it comes to the notice of the authority that a building is likely to collapse; the authority may, after such enquiry as it deems fit order for carrying out the specific repairs or demolition of the whole or part of the building." City has witnessed some tragic incidents of building caving in due to its shabby and dilapidated structure, bringing massive loss to human lives.
Article-14 of SBCA ordinance reads, "Where the whole or a part of the building is to be demolished, the authority may, by notice, require the occupier to vacate the building within the period specified in the notice and if the building has not been vacated with in such period, the authority may, notwithstanding any other law for the time being: in force order that occupier or occupiers of the building be ejected, if necessary, by force."
In July 2009, a building named Khadija Manzil had collapsed in Khajoor Bazaar area of Lyari claiming at least 14 lives. While similar kind of tragedy happened in Liaqatabad in December 2009 when a building collapsed due to construction of extra floors perishing around 18 people in the incident.
SBCA has declared 194 dilapidated buildings as extremely dangerous, of them 136 located in Saddar Town, around 10 in Jamshed Town, eight in Lyari town, while rest are located in Keamari, Malir, Shah Faisal, Liaquatabad, Korangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Baldia town. It is learnt that notices have already been served to dwellers of these 'extremely dangerous' buildings but they have apprehensions to leave their places for alternative settlement in Scheme-33 as it is situated at a far-off location.