Lack of regulation, consciousness behind repeated hearth tragedies: Audio system

KARACHI: City planners, hearth security consultants, civil society representatives, and labour rights activists have known as for speedy reforms to stop recurring hearth tragedies within the city centre of the nation. They expressed severe issues over hearth security, weak constructing laws, and the absence of employees’ safety mechanisms within the public constructing.
They have been talking at a multi-stakeholder dialogue titled “Hearth Security: Constructing Rules and Staff Safety” organised by The Data Discussion board on the Karachi Press Membership on Saturday.
Amber Alibhai of Shehri-Residents for a Higher Surroundings (CBE) highlighted the lack of knowledge amongst each residents and authorities businesses concerning hearth security.
She criticised the provincial authorities for changing public areas into business areas with out making certain fundamental security provisions. “Many business buildings don’t even have hearth extinguishers. In case of fireside, there are not any emergency exits or different escape routes,” she mentioned, including that such negligence locations hundreds of lives in danger each day.
Occupational Well being and Security skilled Naeem Sadiq instructed forming a residents fee to watch the well being and security preparations in public locations. The Fee ought to make sure that constructing bylaws are enforced, launch consciousness campaigns, advocate for rising hearth stations and personnel, and prioritise security over safety.
He mentioned that the town’s sources and response capability have didn’t preserve tempo with speedy urbanisation.
Referring to previous tragedies such because the Baldia manufacturing facility hearth, he mentioned that regardless of repeated incidents, no severe or sustained debate had taken place. “Over a thousand individuals have misplaced their lives as a result of chemical publicity, suffocation, and boiler explosions,” he remarked.
He additionally highlighted the deaths of over 300 sanitary employees throughout Pakistan whereas cleansing manholes, terming it a failure of occupational security programs.
Gul Plaza-like incidents will proceed as a result of we don’t deal with individuals as human beings,” he mentioned, including that homeowners and CEOs not often face such penalties as frequent residents or employees do. “We concentrate on compensation slightly than accountability,” he added.
Zahid Farooque of the City Useful resource Centre (URC) mentioned the current Gul Plaza hearth had deeply saddened the residents. He mentioned Karachi, now among the many world’s largest cities, continues to witness unchecked high-rise building with out satisfactory security planning. “Multi-story buildings mushroomed, however emergency exits and security programs have been ignored,” he mentioned.
Tariq Moin of the Hearth Safety Affiliation of Pakistan (FPAP) mentioned the technical and authorized dimensions of fireside security. He mentioned the Constructing Code of Pakistan 2016 gives clear pointers, however implementation stays weaker. “The actual killer will not be hearth, however smoke,” he mentioned, including that emergency exits, smoke detectors, sprinklers, hearth hoses, and evacuation drills are important.
He famous that fireside extinguishers have change into scarce and costly following current incidents, whereas controlling authorities are nearly nonexistent.
Hearth skilled Saeed Jadoon listed main hearth disasters in Karachi, together with Regent Plaza, Baldia City, Nishtar Park, Karsaz and a number of other markets. He mentioned the fireplace brigade receives 20 to 25 hearth calls day by day, however solely Gul Plaza attracted the eye of the media. “The hearth division is environment friendly, however firefighting should be modernised. There isn’t a firefighting legislation in Pakistan, solely a civil defence legislation,” he mentioned, advocating for remote-control firefighting expertise and institutional mergers.
Different audio system instructed the continuation of such conferences of the consultants within the metropolis, and a long-term technique needs to be developed. Chairman of the Nationwide Discussion board for Surroundings and Well being, Naeem Qureshi, senior journalists Sarfraz Ahmed, Tahir Hassan Khan, Shams Keerio, Shujauddin Qureshi, Munaza Rajput additionally gave their views.
Concluding the session, Zeenia Shaukat, Director of The Data Discussion board, careworn that each constructing will need to have an authorized hearth plan regulated by competent authorities. “Prevention is the one method ahead,” she mentioned.