IT was an avoidable tragedy. Another residential building collapsed in Karachi`s Lyari neighbourhood on Friday, resulting in a number of casualties, including women and children. Nine deaths had been reported as these words were being written. It was the third structural collapse incident in the city in two days. A day earlier, the third-floor roof of a building had collapsed in the Moosa Lane area, killing two; separately, an entire section of a six-storey building had collapsed under the weight of its rooftop water tank in Ghulam Hussain Qasim Quarters, thankfully without casualties. In each case, the buildings had been previously declared unsafe by the Sindh Building Control Authority, but evacuation orders were repeatedly ignored.

A review of the city`s records reveals that there have been multiple structural collapse incidents in Karachi in recent years, with many involving condemned buildings. The question naturally arises: why has the SBCA been so helpless in enforcing its writ? The problem is a multifaceted one: for example, citizens of ten resist evacuation orders for dangerous buildings as they may have no other place to go to, and they demand alternative arrangements before they agree to comply. The SBCA is also accused of turning a blind eye to various illegalities and violations, especially the use of substandard construction materials, which has led to the proliferation of dangerous structures in the city. It is well known that in most construction projects, compliance with building safety codes is non-existent.

Due to these factors, large parts of the city have turned into a sprawling mess of structures that can quickly become a death trap for their residents. Since this problem most often affects the less privileged, the authorities seem not to treat it urgently.

However, it is becoming clear that a major intervention is needed, and the administration must devise a comprehensive strategy for dealing with dangerous buildings and the threat they pose.