KARACHI is in the news for all the wrong reasons these days. A few days ago a building collapsed in Korangi causing many deaths. On Saturday, a fire erupted in a residential building resulting in the death of four people of a family leaving several other people severely burnt.

Following the building safety code in the construction of multi-storey buildings is rare in Karachi. The substandard concrete jungle of steel and mortar in slum areas is a permanent threat to its inhabitants. It emits heat and is an ecological disaster in the making.

The authorities have turned a blind eye to the basic problems ailing Karachi for years and it seems the day of reckoning has arrived. The recent rains caused havoc due to illegal construction on water channels. ‘China-cutting’ and the blocking of major rain water drains. The most dangerous aspect of all these problems is the public’s apathy towards these issues. They have chosen to compromise and to live in squalid conditions.

Iftikhar Mirza

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2020