KARACHI
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that only six out of 266 buildings on the city’s three main corridors, I.I Chandrigar Road, Sharea Faisal and Shahrah e Quaideen have fire safety facilities, while more than 200 buildings do not have fire extinguishers.
He said this while reviewing the fire safety audit of the buildings located around the three main highways of Karachi presented by the fire brigade department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, here on Tuesday.
He said that 62 per cent of the buildings did not have emergency exits, 70 per cent of the buildings were found to have substandard electrical wiring, and according to the report, only 90 of the 266 buildings had fire alarms and smoke detectors. He said that all concerned deputy commissioners have been recommended to provide facilities and support to the fire brigade officials.
Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that after the incidents of fire in different buildings of the city, it was decided to conduct a complete fire audit of the buildings near the main streets and major roads in Karachi so that such incidents can be avoided in future and the city administration fulfills its responsibilities to protect the life and property of the citizens.
He said that in the initial phase, the fire brigade department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation conducted a detailed inspection of 266 buildings at the I. I Chandrigar Road, Sharea Faisal and Shahrah e Quaideen and completed the process of fire safety audit and in the light of the report, all necessary steps will be taken.
He said that there are large and important commercial and business centers around these three main highways of Karachi, where there is a concern due to the lack of satisfactory arrangements for fire prevention.
One should realize the responsibilities and instead of waiting for the accident to happen complete preventive measures in this regard. As responsible and dutiful citizens, we also must play our part to protect our lives and the property of others.
The Mayor of Karachi said after the report of the fire safety audit it has also been recommended to ban the entry of all unnecessary NGOs to the place where fire incident happened, while the Sindh Building Control Authority and the people living in the buildings have been instructed to take necessary measures to avoid such incidents.
He said that during the fire safety audit, the basic fire safety devices, electric wiring, switches, plugs, smoke detectors, fire watch guards, fire extinguishers, fire hoses and emergency exits in case of fire were checked in the buildings located on the above corridors, apart of this condition of electricity meters and electrical equipment, the reasons that could cause a fire or aggravating an emergency were also examined.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that according to the law, all big buildings must have fire safety system and emergency exit routes, in all such buildings where they have no fire safety arrangement, the administration should establish them immediately, it is purely a matter of human lives. The management and owners of the buildings should cooperate with them in this regard.
