Another building collapse

A five-storey building collapsed in Lyari locality of Karachi on Sunday night leaving a middle-aged woman and a man dead and eight others injured. Many were still trapped under the rubble of the building when these lines were being written. According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), the building was 35-40 years old. It was built on 400 square yards. The government says the building had been declared dangerous in March and notices were served on the residents to vacate it. Most residents had vacated the building and the remaining were leaving when the building came crashing down on the ground. Governor Imran Ismail has blamed negligence and corruption on the part of the SBCA for the building collapse and the resulting loss of life and property. Like the CM, he too has sought a report on the unfortunate incident. He claimed that many tall buildings were under construction in congested localities of Lyari without proper permission.

This is the third incidents of building collapse in Karachi in the past six months. Earlier in March, a five-storey building had collapsed in Golimar in which 25 of the residents had died. As is customary, the provincial government had ordered an inquiry into the incident. We, however, do not know what was contained in this report and many other such reports and whether any heads rolled or not. Or whether heads have ever rolled in such incidents? It is common knowledge that those who intend to construct buildings, whether private persons or professional builders, have to pay hefty illegal gratification to government officials at various levels and stages. Unauthorised construction of buildings continues in different parts of the city with government officials turning a blind eye to such activities exposing unsuspecting people to hazards of various kinds. It’s an endless cycle of perpetual corruption and perpetual destruction. We can only cultivate hope.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2020.

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