Illegal buildings in Gulbahar area continue to threaten lives

KARACHI: After a five-storey building collapsed in Golimar (Gulbahar) area on Thursday killing at least twenty people, it has been revealed that there are several such buildings in the locality and other parts of the city.

A report submitted in the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court made the startling revelation that there are several five, six, and seven-storey buildings in Golimar and other areas in violation of the regulations by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).

In District West, four-storey Jamal Fatima apartment on plot no. 95/1 in Rizvia Housing Society, which underwent renovation and paint by owner Javed Malik recently, had collapsed leading to the death of twelve residents belong to seven different families.

Owner and builder Javed Malik, who also resides in the same building, was also injured in the incident. It has been revealed that he owns another apartment within the area. Residents revealed that the first floor of the building caved in the ground after which the rest of the building collapsed on the adjoining building.

The sister and niece of a man named Sattar who lived in the opposite building were killed in the incident while the whereabouts of his mother is still unknown. The building was constructed over eight years ago.

The SBCA has been negligent against taking action against those buildings in violation of the necessary rules and regulations. The SBCA has been working with the local builder mafia to continue with its illegal activities.

Permits are being issued without considering the quality of construction and safety standards and a ‘clearance certificate’ is promptly given. The report of a building that collapsed a couple of months ago in Lyari has not yet been released.