A FIVE-storey building recently collapsed in Baghdadi, a dense neighbourhood of Lyari, killing at least 27 people and leaving many more maimed and traumatised. Several buildings have crumbled in recent years: in 2020 structures crashed in Korangi and Gulbahar, and the same tragedy befell Machhar Colony and Shah Faisal Colony in 2023, taking many lives.
These tragedies occur because countless buildings are unfit for human habitation. In Lyari alone, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has declared more than 107 buildings dangerous, while the exact count of similar edifices elsewhere in the city and beyond is unknown. We know that over four dozen seismic shocks shook Landhi, Korangi and their adjoining areas in the past few weeks. Mercifully, no loss of life has been reported, but it is disappointing to watch calamities devastate underprivileged populations, especially the urban poor. Therefore, as the monsoon season gets underway, a multipronged strategy must be put in place without further delay.
The SBCA, along with municipal authorities and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, must approach issues related to buildings declared hazardous with urgency. The authorities need to engage with the occupants through community leaders to facilitate smooth evacuation. Technical expertise and opinion must dictate the sequence of measures deployed for vulnerable buildings.
An emergency housing arrangement has to be worked out by identifying available public buildings and premises. A rapid assessment of building conditions must be carried out to identify options of possible retrofitting of buildings that can be saved. For all buildings that are completely unfit for human occupancy, a scientific demolition process may be conducted after legal and administrative prerequisites are fulfilled. An urban rehabilitation project must also be developed to initiate a rebuilding exercise.
Construction materials must be standardised to ensure durability.
A financial plan involving partial provincial assistance with gradual cost recovery from the occupants should be chalked out to fund this venture. Besides, some measures to increase the overall area of each abode with better amenities are equally crucial. Given our track record of construction, this entire exercise can be completed in 30 months. The provincial government, with the goal to make this a replicable pilot project for challenges in other parts of Karachi and beyond, has to provide the initial funds. Successful completion will build the public’s trust in the government’s commitment and interventions.
Moreover, The Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, under which the SBCA was established, stipulates the presence of an oversight committee. On several occasions in the past, inclusive committees were formed. In fact, one with prominent professionals such as Roland D’Souza of Shehri and Ardeshir Cowasjee served as an effective watchdog of the metropolis’s built environment. It will be in the best interest of Karachi that such a committee is reconstituted.
Instead of merely filling posts with bureaucrats — as is the case now — these should be occupied by active members of civil society as well as professionals and researchers. With the active engagement of stakeholders such as builders, contractors, occupants, service providers, consultants and others, a restructured committee can help bring building construction affairs in conformity with relevant regulations and safety mechanisms to benefit this city.
Additionally, our present building and town planning regulations need a complete overhaul. The approach of promulgating building bylaws, along with random enforcement, will not yield positive results. A pragmatic strategy must be adopted to generate effective results. An important but rarely addressed issue is the quality of building materials. The scrutiny of industrially manufactured products as well as imported materials is deficient, and house owners often end up spending more on inferior products and services.
It is time that construction products and materials were standardised to ensure durability. Cement, sand, steel, bricks and blocks fall in these categories. Many pilot projects have proved that raising the baseline quality scales of fundamental materials improves construction quality significantly. Widespread vocational training in masonry and other building skills is another key component.
Such initiatives will prove useful in upgrading the skillset of the existing labour force, and help create a new one that is more aware and engaged with the construction sector. With the incorporation of modern digital tools and progress in manufacturing and construction techniques, our ordinary residents will receive the best value for their money through quality, sustainability and skillful execution.
The writer is an academic and researcher in Karachi.
Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2025
