Karachi DCO Muhammad Hussein Syed had formed a special committee a month ago tasked with demolishing and reconstructing the buildings to prevent another incident like the collapse of Qasr-e-Ruqaiya in Moosa Lane, Lyari. A meeting was called again on Thursday by the DCO to go over the demolition plan.
He said that the city government will use its resources to relocate the 480 families of Narainpura. Out of them, 63 families will be shifted from the Mangji Bhagwanji Building to empty apartment buildings in the jurisdiction of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in the first phase.
Although the CDGK seems ready to assist the SBCA in the demolition and provide logistical support to the people for evacuation, but is not in a position to fund the entire three-step process of evacuation, demolition and reconstruction. In this regard, according to the DCO, a plan has been chalked out and awaits response from other departments.
“The structural conditions of these buildings are very risky and can lead to an unfortunate situation if the demolition and rehabilitation plan is delayed,” an executive district officer told The Express Tribune.
The SBCA has issued multiple warnings to the residents to evacuate the buildings and move to safer places but the residents say that they have no other place or the resources to go, despite the risk to their lives. The SBCA’s spokesperson told The Express Tribune that a report was submitted to the chief controller on September 8 and it will take a couple of days to finalise a strategy.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2011.
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