KARACHI: City Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Saturday said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation was taking all measures to secure heritage buildings in the metropolis.

“The KMC will play its role in protecting those wonderful buildings, which are Karachi’s identity,” he said while inspecting an old residential structure which collapsed in Nanakwara Paan Mandi neighbourhood.

Read: KARACHI NOTEBOOK: Arrested for dumping trash?

He was accompanied by architect Yasmeen Lari.

The mayor was told none of the residents living in the building was hurt in the incident.

He stressed the need for conducting immediate survey of all dangerous buildings in the city.

He said the KMC would reconstruct the collapsed building which stood tall since 1890.

He was told the incident had left 18 families homeless who had been shifted to the government boys’ secondary school in the area as a makeshift arrangement.

Earlier, Mr Akhtar said the KMC and DMCs were not taken into confidence when the provincial authorities were issuing orders of arrest for dumping of garbage in the city.

“Before issuing such orders, the city should have been cleaned. First the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board should remove the heaps of garbage the city is strewn with and fulfil its statutory responsibility,” said the mayor.

He said such orders would only create mistrust and disappointment among citizens.

While visiting parts of Korangi district to inspect new garbage containers, he said containers would be placed on traffic islands, at hospitals and educational instructions in a bid to keep the areas clean.

He maintained that garbage collection and broken sewerage system were the basic issues hindering the city’s development.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2018