Fire safety audit of over 800 city buildings completed

Acceleration of survey ordered; separate dashboards to be set up for SBCA, SABAD

KARACHI:

The fire safety audit of shopping malls, commercial buildings, and major government buildings in the metropolis has gained momentum, with surveys of over 800 buildings completed so far, it emerged on Tuesday.

Presiding over a high-level meeting at his office, the Karachi commissioner reviewed the progress of the fire safety audit project and directed deputy commissioners to expedite the survey of remaining buildings at the earliest.

The meeting was informed that a mobile application had been developed containing comprehensive details and information about fire safety measures in all buildings audited to date. The app is designed to provide quick access to critical data in case of emergencies.

In a significant decision, the meeting resolved that the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the Sindh Abadgar (SABAD) would maintain separate dashboards and upload details of all buildings in Karachi related to fire safety audits.

It was also decided that completion plans for all commercial shopping malls would be uploaded on these dashboards to facilitate necessary measures in the event of any emergency. SBCA officials assured the meeting that they would gradually upload the completion plans of all required buildings at the earliest.

The meeting further decided that fire safety audits would also be conducted for shopping plazas and commercial buildings located within cantonment board areas, with their details and information to be uploaded as well.

It was decided that fire safety audit committees formed under the supervision of assistant commissioners would guide and assist cantonment boards to ensure the survey of buildings within cantonment limits is completed without further delay.

The meeting also decided that Civil Defence, Rescue 1122, and the Fire Safety Department would jointly provide training to building staff. A coordinated training program would be organized in this regard to ensure preparedness for any fire-related emergency.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) System Analyst Dayal Das Rathore gave a detailed briefing on the ongoing fire safety audit survey.

He informed the participants that notices had been issued to buildings that did not meet safety requirements, directing them to fulfill the remaining safety standards expeditiously.