KARACHI, Oct 25: A technical committee on disaster management has stressed the need for preparing a separate set of rules for designing and constructing buildings in coastal areas including the Sea View area.

A meeting of the sub-committee (technical) formed by the Sindh governor to work out the terms for disaster in the event of any eventuality in the city, including an earthquake, held its last deliberations with Dr Iqbal Mohsin, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Arts, Sciences and Technology in the chair on Tuesday.

A source privy to the meeting said members of the technical committee held that Karachi had two types of soil; one hard and natural, and the other reclaimed, or prepared after land-filling, or natural soil, pores of which had already been filled with water and which become sensitive to earthquake shocks.

Speakers at the meeting were of the view that governing the entire city’s constructions by one standard set of rules would not be in the fitness of things and as such the preparedness plan would remain incompatible.

The committee also noted that there was a need to examine the seismic zone map of Pakistan afresh. It was also said that a Karachi plan should be prepared by holding it as an independent micro-zone.

Referring to the recent tremor shocks in Karachi, the committee pointed out that the Geological Survey of Pakistan should release a study report on the subject to subside the unrest among people and end rumours about any eventuality.

The director of the Met office informed the meeting that six stations were regularly measuring earthquake shocks throughout the country.

About the Karachi station, he said new equipment and instruments had been arranged for the purpose.

A former federal minister, Islam Nabi Noor, said the seismic survey of Karachi’s buildings was a must.

Among others, Syed Azfar Rizvi, Salahuddin of the Met office, Dr Jamil Kazmi, and Dr Naimatullah also spoke at the meeting.

The sub-committee will finalize its draft recommendations on Wednesday so that it can be discussed in the meeting scheduled for Thursday, with Adviser to Chief Minister, Waseem Ahmad, in the chair, added the source.