75pc of industries, trade centres not complying with civil defence rules

KARACHI: As many as 75 percent of industries and shopping centers are not fully complying with civil defence rules, it is reliably learnt.

Sources said that only export-oriented units are strictly following the rules and regulations described by the civil defence department as it’s a tough requirement of their foreign buyers to comply with these types of rules.

They said that major industries and shopping centres are violating the basic rules of constructions and have no emergency exit in case of any mishap.

Although, there are about seven declared industrial states in the city which includes SITE, Korangi, F.B Area, Landhi, North Karachi and Site Super Highway, yet ignoring all rules and regulations many industries/ factories have been set up in the residential areas.

This is the responsibility of the civil defence department to ensure the availability of fire fighting equipment in the industries, shopping centers and other buildings; but they are failed to implement the law.

“Industries are following the civil defence rules, however there are some leakages that resulted in accidents like Tuesday night incident of Baldia Town,” said Irfan Motan Chairman SITE Association of Trade and Industry. He said that export-oriented factories and industries are fully complying with these rules as it’s a requirement from our buyers, otherwise they will not place orders.

Talking about the incident, he said that factory was working since last many years, but what happened there will be revealed in the investigation, he said. Adding “this is a wrong perception that factory has single exit, there were some other exit points in the factory that were closed due to poor law and order situation in the area.”

Chairman Korangi Trade and Industry (KATI) Ehtisham-ud-Din accepted that all industries are not complying with civil defence rules, but only factory owner is not responsible for that. “Lapse is at all levels not only on owner side but this is also the responsibility of all departments to implement the rules and regulations defined by them,” he added. He said that representatives of civil defence regularly visited the industries for checking compliance of rules and after the inspection they also issued certificates. Adding “almost all industries and factories have certificate issued by the civil defence.”

He mentioned that worst law and order situation in the city has also compelled industrialist to tighten security and close all unnecessary exits in the factories to avoid any incident.