KARACHI, Nov 15: The situation with regard to the high-rises in Karachi was examined in detail at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim here on Tuesday. In the wake of colossal human and material losses as a result of the Oct 8 earthquake, the condition of old multi-storeyed buildings in Sindh and especially in Karachi came under discussion.

The chief minister directed that all the multi-storey buildings existing in the 18 towns of Karachi be surveyed and a report about such buildings which could not absorb the intensity of earthquake be prepared.

He asked the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) to procure equipment needed for the required research of buildings.

Dr Arbab said the survey be carried out in coordination with the town nazims and town building officers and such a survey be conducted first in the Saddar Town where these buildings were in abundance.

He urged that high-rises must have strong foundations and should have the strength to absorb shocks.

The KBCA was directed to ensure that these buildings compulsorily had the basic necessities like water, electricity, gas, sewerage system, parking, appropriate entry and exit points besides provision of elevators.

The chief minister said that the Sindh government was examining the proposal of allowing additional floors in multi-storeyed buildings and steps in this regard would be taken after taking stock of the necessary rules and regulations and amendments therein.

He called for checking the multi-storey buildings in Gulistan-i-Jauhar as well and said it must be verified that these were safe against earthquakes.

Dr Arbab further directed that the concerned authorities should be contacted for survey of buildings in the cantonment areas and hoped the cantonments would cooperate with the government.

He was informed that a quake-related survey of high-rises in Karachi was taken in hand in 1980 but the task remained unfulfilled due to the non-availability of proper equipment.

It was also informed that terms for the grant of permission and issuance of NOC to attract foreign investors in the housing sector had been eased and the government did not want to impose undue restrictions on the construction of high-rises in the city.

The chief minister directed that the existing laws and regulations must be strictly enforced.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Secretary Local Government Mohammed Ishaq Lashari, Secretary Law Ghulam Nabi Shah, CCOB KBCA Rauf Akhtar Farooqi and other senior officials.—APP