Sindh govt seeks details of all dilapidated buildings in two days

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) will complete its survey of damaged buildings and submit a report to Local Government, Housing & Town Planning Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah within 48 hours.

Shah said that no compromise on human lives will be acceptable. “Lives lost in collapsed buildings is a great loss,” he said. The LG secretary was addressing a high-level meeting at the office of the SBCA. He was accompanied by Housing & Town Planning Additional Secretary Jamaluddin Jalalani.

After SBCA Director General Ashkar Dawar’s briefing, the LG secretary said that the trend of collapsing buildings is not acceptable in any case, adding that the loss of human lives and properties is very unfortunate.

A statement issued by the LG department quoted Shah as saying that the provincial government cannot afford any more loss of life, so it has immediately ordered that every relevant town officer of the SBCA submit complete details of dilapidated buildings in their respective areas within 48 hours.

He said that a detailed briefing will be taken from the SBCA chief afterwards. “No negligence or laziness in this matter will be accepted, and no excuse will be obliged,” he warned. The LG secretary held a detailed review of all the departments, laws and organisational structure of the SBCA and asked for information on the scope and powers of the institution.

He said that all the officers and departments of the building control authority should focus on improving their performance, and that transparency and timely completion of projects should be ensured in all cases.

He also said that illegal infrastructures should not be created under any circumstances, warning that those who endanger people’s lives and properties will not be forgiven. “People’s lifetime earnings will not be allowed to be wasted like this,” said Shah, and directed the SBCA chief to be fully aware of the legal action being taken against the demolished illegal buildings, and to compile performance statistics from time to time and correct irregularities.

Patrons, owners and facilitators of illegal buildings should be stopped immediately, legal powers and jurisdiction should be used positively and to the fullest, and no recommendation or pressure should be accepted, he asserted.

He said that every officer should perform his duty with the utmost honesty and diligence, adding that unless strict action is taken against those responsible for illegal constructions, the situation will not change. He also said that documentation and content needs to be harmonised with IT, institutional reforms and improvement.

Shah said that a large board should display the construction NOC and QR code on every building until it is completed. Details of floors to be constructed, area to be covered and other information should also be made public so that illegal buildings and the trend of illegal floors can be rooted out, he added.

He said the SBCA should launch a mobile app for people’s convenience, and use social networking websites and modern technology for proper publicity of legal projects so that the public could be saved from scams.