570 buildings in city found to be dangerous, SBCA tells PAC

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on Wednesday submitted its audit reports during a meeting with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), revealing that 570 buildings in Karachi have been found to be dangerous.

The reports also revealed that thousands of people are still living in these unsafe buildings. The SBCA apologised for not vacating and demolishing these buildings. Through the Sindh chief secretary, the PAC urged the provincial government to take urgent steps to save the lives of the thousands of people still residing in these dangerous buildings.

The meeting reviewed the SBCA’s audit reports from 2017 to 2020, finding that the province has 782 dilapidated buildings, with 570 of them in the city alone. The Sindh audit director general said the SBCA has failed to demolish dangerous buildings across the province, adding that the presence of residents in these buildings can lead to the loss of thousands of lives at any time.

SBCA DG Abdul Rashid Solangi said that 81 buildings in Hyderabad have also been found to be unsafe, 67 in Mirpurkhas, 60 in Sukkur and four in Larkana, adding that the thousands of residents are not ready to vacate their homes and properties.

Solangi said people are demanding alternative houses before vacating their home, but the SBCA does not have alternative houses or plots to give them, so the buildings cannot be demolished because providing alternative accommodations to the residents is a major issue.

PAC Chairman Nisar Khuhro said the provincial government should protect the lives of the people because these dangerous buildings will deteriorate further with time, adding that if these buildings were to collapse, there is a risk of losing thousands of human lives.

A day earlier, experts revealed while speaking at a conference that Karachi had witnessed nearly 6,000 fires during the past two years, yet 70 per cent of the city’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings lack adequate fire safety measures.

Speaking at the Second National Fire Safety Conference and Risk-Based Awards Ceremony, organised by the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP), specialists stressed the dire need for compliance with building safety codes to prevent loss of lives and properties.

Highlighting the alarming statistics, FPAP President Kanwar Waseem revealed that 2,800 fires were reported in Karachi in 2023, while over 3,000 were recorded in 2024 through November, leading to significant loss of lives and properties.

Waseem attributed these incidents to widespread non-compliance with fire safety laws, and the absence of building safety codes during construction. “Seventy per cent of Karachi’s residential, commercial and industrial buildings are devoid of fire safety arrangements. The neglect of safety codes during construction makes these buildings death traps during emergencies.”

He also lamented the discontinuation of fire safety and first aid training in schools and colleges. “We used to provide such training in educational institutions. It’s essential to resume these sessions to instil fire safety knowledge from an early age.”

He maintained that Karachi’s industrial sector, comprising over 8,000 units, remains particularly vulnerable. He called for mandatory fire safety training for industrial employees to mitigate risks.