SHC seeks SBCA report on formulation of SOPs prior to approval of building plans

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to submit a progress report with regard to the formulation of a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure that certain requirements are met, including obtaining no objection certificates from the civil defence and fire departments, before any building plan is approved.

Hearing a petition with regard to the implementation of the safety by-laws under the Building Code of Pakistan, a division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar inquired the SBCA director general (DG) about the state of compliance with the court directives.

The SBCA environment and building service director submitted that the SBCA DG had convened a meeting with officials of the civil defence and also placed some viable proposals and suggestions to ensure that in every apartment, commercial and industrial building, there was a provision of a fire exit door to meet any emergency.

The chief fire officer informed the high court that he had also given proposals for incorporating fire safety before approval letters were issued for buildings.

The SHC directed the SBCA to submit the final progress report with regard to the formulation of the SOPs for safety.

A counsel for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation submitted that 10 fire tenders had been repaired and 52 more had been provided by the federal government. He said 26 fire tenders had been dedicated to the 14 industrial zones in Karachi to meet exigency.

The KMC’s lawyer submitted that there were shortage of manpower to operate all the fire tenders and despite intimation to the local bodies department, no action had been taken to increase the strength in the KMC fire brigade.

The high court directed the additional local government secretary to appear before the court and file comments with regard to shortage of fire staff in the KMC.

The SHC also directed the Commissioner Office to submit a report with regard to the appointment of a magistrate under the civil defence law in each district to take cognisance of non-compliance with the law.

The Commissioner Office’s representative submitted that the appointment of the magistrates had to be made on recommendations of the chief justice of the high court. The SHC directed the Commissioner Office to submit a progress report on whether the competent authority had forwarded a reference to the registrar of the court for the appointment of magistrates under the civil defence law.

A law officer informed the SHC that a task force was conducting inspections vigilantly to ensure that fire safety measures were being adopted by all the commercial and industrial establishments. The high court directed the task force to continue their operations in the future, and adjourned the hearing till April 8.

The SHC had earlier been informed that a three-tier task force on divisional, district and sub-district levels had been constituted for the inspection of high-rise buildings, factories and industries either on private complaints or on its own motion to ensure that all fire safety measures had been taken in such establishments.