KARACHI, July 25: Though the city government has taken many steps to avert any catastrophe during current monsoon season, the most important step to avoid loss of human lives remains ignored as no considerable efforts have been made to evacuate the residents of about 200 buildings declared dangerous by the KBCA.

Despite repeated emphasis by the concerned authorities, there exists no proper disaster plan for Karachi, covering natural and accidental hazards, like rain-storm, floods, sea storm, fire and war conditions.

Prior to the devolution system, this responsibility vested with the commissioner of Karachi. However, presently it lies with the DCO, who has held numerous meetings with all concerned departments of the city government, including fire, health, works and services departments to earmark their responsibilities in case of heavy rains.

Maximum emphasis has been laid on cleaning the major storm-water drains of the city and the works and services department has been doing this job very efficiently despite limited resources and time constraints, while the civil defence department is being reorganized to match the needs of present times and plans are under way to develop coordination of the city government with all the six cantonment boards of Karachi, including federal land owning departments like Railways, KPT and Navy in any emergency situation.

Nevertheless, a very sensitive sector which has been ignored are residents of more than 200 buildings which have been declared dangerous to live, by the KBCA. Most of these buildings are situated in old parts of the city which, according to the KBCA, can fall in case of rains due to their miserable conditions.

Besides, neither the KBCA nor the DCO Karachi who is working on rain emergency plan, have tried to provide this list to the fire department so that they can prepare themselves for rescue mission in case of any eventuality.

According to the list of 19 areas released by KBCA, maximum number of these buildings are located in Ranchore Quarters which are RC-2, 6, Rc-3-24, 27, 30 Rc-4., 18, 22/4, 33, 137, 288, 326, 394, 402, 426, RC-5,30-66,84, RC-7-8, RC-8, 2/15,216, RC-11, 11, RC-12-6, 106, 107, 62.

It may be noted that only the officials of concerned circle of the KBCA can understand and locate the buildings earmarked in list, since common man is unaware of plot number or other technical details of the buildings.

Moreover, a small piece of official paper containing this information is pasted at these buildings by the KBCA and no prominent marking is done at the front of buildings which would enable the fire authorities and neighbours to have a before hand information in this regard.—PPI