2020, year of corona crises, as well as year of building
collapses in Karachi. A week ago, two buildings collapsed in Karachi. One was in
Korangi Town and one was in Liyari Koyla Godam. Two months ago, two more
buildings had collapsed in Gulberg and Liyari Khadda market. In all these
tragedy, dozens of lives have gone and dozens of people get injured. Even a
whole family ended alone.
SBCA is responsible for all these tragedies, because this authority is not
functioning properly. SBCA is a regulatory and supervisory body whose prime
function is to help, protect and develop the built environment by ensuring
implementation of building regulations.
But unfortunately, they have forgotten their prime function. Buildings are being
built but with zero protection.
There are thousands of buildings in Karachi which are in rotten state, which can
cause a lot of causalities. So it is better to remove the residents and demolish
it.
In some areas, SBCA is doing its job. But the collapse of buildings will not end
with only giving notices and paying attention to the rotten buildings. SBCA will
also have to look at the corruption of its institution, those who come for
inspection and takes bribe and this chain goes on like this.
On behalf of all residents of Karachi South, I want them to focus on Liyari,
where many new buildings are being built, that too in an illegal way. For
illustration, on a 90 yard plot, they have made 7 floors. While the plot of 90
yard is allowed for just ground plus one. Making so many floors in less space is
extremely dangerous. Even they surround more space than the area allotted to
them. Due to which streets are getting narrow. But nobody is paying attention to
this. We really don’t want our Karachi to become a disastrous concrete jungle.
I request the Sindh chief minister, the local government minister and the SBCA
director general to stop this unlawful act.