KARACHI: The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) has launched a province-wide survey of dangerous buildings and ordered immediate, on-the-spot demolition of all illegal structures across Sindh.

The operation, apparently, aims at ensuring public safety and bringing long-overdue accountability to Sindh’s concrete landscape.

This fresh move is the second major initiative by the SBCA since the July 2025 Lyari building tragedy, which claimed 27 lives and sparked widespread calls for reform and accountability in the building control authority.

Last month, the authority proposed the government in a drafted law to establish a dedicated force to monitor illegal constructions.

The draft seeks to make all related offences cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, introducing strict penalties for those found guilty.

Grading system introduced in building authority for field officers to enhance internal accountability, says DG

On Thursday, the SBCA announced the launch of the province-wide crackdown on dangerous buildings and illegal constructions, following directives from Provincial Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

Only last week, the local government portfolio was withdrawn from Saeed Ghani and handed over to Mr Shah.

SBCA Director General Muzamil Hussain Halepoto, who recently assumed office, is spearheading the drive.

It has been emphasised that the measures are aimed at safeguarding human lives, enhancing safety, and ensuring transparency and accountability in construction practices across Sindh.

“The DG SBCA has ordered a comprehensive survey of all dangerous buildings across the province, directing that unauthorised and illegal constructions must be stopped immediately and demolished on the spot,” said the SBCA statement.

“The DG has asked the Building Inspectors, Senior Inspectors, Assistant Directors, and Deputy Directors to conduct regular vigilance within their jurisdictions to identify unsafe structures and construction violations.”

In order to “enhance efficiency and accountability”, DG Halepoto introduced a grading system for SBCA field officers, the statement added.

The performance-based system will be reflected in each officer’s personal service profile, linking career progression to on-ground results.

Daily field-book

As part of the new protocol, field officers are now required to maintain a daily field-book, documenting all inspections, enforcement actions, and site activities.

These records will serve as an official performance log, enabling systematic monitoring and stricter oversight, the statement added.

The DG further directed the IT Section of the SBCA to develop a comprehensive database of all dangerous buildings and demolished illegal constructions, with daily updates to ensure transparency and effective oversight.

He added that a modern digital monitoring system would also be introduced to strengthen vigilance.

“Highlighting strict accountability, DG Halepoto made it clear that officers who fail to submit reports on time or are found negligent in their duties will face strict disciplinary action under Efficiency & Discipline (E&D) rules,” added the statement.

He also directed that all officers must ensure their attendance, reporting to offices daily at 9am sharp reiterating that these new measures, reflect the government’s vision of transparency, efficiency, and service to the people.

“Our priority is to protect citizens, regulate urban development, and ensure that no illegal or unsafe construction is allowed to endanger lives,” the statement quoted the SBCA DG as saying.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2025