Karachi, Fire, deaths and blames .

The death toll in the garment factory fire in Baldia Town has risen to 289, some claim its more than 314, raising fresh concerns about workplace safety.

Survivors at a clothing factory in Karachi, the worst of the two blazes, described leaping from windows to escape. But hundreds of their colleagues found the way out blocked by barred windows and locked doors in a building that lacked basic safety equipment such as alarms and sprinklers. TV pictures painted gruesome pictures, as bodies covered in white sheets were carried from the smoldering ruin amid fears the death toll will continue to rise.

The Economist Intelligence Unit in its latest global survey of living conditions released in August rated Karachi as the seventh least livable city, placing it 134th in the world out of a list of 140 countries. According to an Asian Development Bank report, Addressing Climate Change and Migration in Asia and the Pacific, released in March, Karachi is at high risk from sea-level rise, prolonged cyclonic activity, and salt-water intrusion. Karachi also has no effective policy in place to deal with disasters and there are critical gaps and shortcomings in emergency response systems such as trauma facilities, fire services, law and order, evacuation plans and facilities. While terming report hugely important,. Ali Tauqir Sheikh, Climate Development and Knowledge Networks Asia director, told IPS that it fails to build upon the Karachi city governments capacity and

experience.

Investigators said a faulty electricity generator was to blame. Disaster was Karachi's "biggest fire in terms of deaths in decades". Lack of proper emergency exitsone firefighter has described the building as a boxand barred windows meant that most people were trapped within the building with no means of escape. According to government minister 90% industrial buildings in Karachi have similar situation.

In 2004 than City Nazim Naimatullah Sindh government to provide increased financial assistance to the city government in the next budget for meeting fire brigade's requirements , including more fire tenders and fire stations. He pointed out for a city of 14 million, there was a need of 130 fire stations whereas there were only 20 fire stations at present. According to reports the authorities have taken no steps on the recommendations of an inquiry report submitted to them over a year ago by a team of experts assigned by the Sindh governor to unearth the causes behind major blazes in the city and the fire department`s inability to control them quickly enough. At least 33 new fire stations are required, making the total 54,

says the report. Based on experience, it is considered essential to have three fire stations for each town in Karachi to respond quickly to fire incidents. In enquiry report it was suggested that the 21 fire stations in the sprawling metropolis were inadequate and their number should be increased immediately. The city`s fire department currently operates with 48 fire tenders, but sources close to the municipal services of the city government said the full strength was never available, as a large number of the vehicles were out of order, most of them parked at the workshop for repairs. One can hardly find 18 or, at better times, 20 fire tenders to deal with any major fire, said a source, speaking about the state of equipment at the 21 fire stations. Some vehicles have been parked at the workshop for a long time with no work being done on them. A few are under repair. These vehicles develop faults due to different reasons and the workload on the few tenders further makes them vulnerable to developing faults. The experts suggested 162 fire tenders of different capacities for the city`s 54 proposed total fire stations. Jan 3 2010,An assessment report received from the fire department by the federal investigation agency officials inquiring into the incidents of arson following the Ashura procession blast was found contradicting the earlier claims of the city district government of Karachi that 42 fire tenders and six snorkels were called in to extinguish the fire. Thousands of shops in Boulton Market and adjoining buildings were set on fire by miscreants following the Ashura procession blast that left 44 people killed and hundreds other injured on Dec 28, 2009. The report filed by the city government`s fire department said that 18 fire tenders were called in from 16 fire stations and two snorkels brought in by the central fire station to put out the fire. The Fire Department also came under investigation by the intelligence agencies including FIA. The officials of Fire Department were inquired about as to why the fire tenders reached the crime scene after 3 hours and what caused the delay. The investigators further found that firefighters, who were involved in one of the most challenging operations of the decade, were without some basic equipment. The investigators further found that firefighters, who were involved in one of the most challenging operations of the decade, were without some basic equipment. The findings showed that the municipal department of the city district government provided helmets, torches and fire suits to the fire stations on December 31 two days after the tragedy. he incidents rendered some 12,500 people unemployed, as they were directly associated with the business in these markets, and turned 2,500 traders into paupers. According to the initial assessments, the losses were estimated around Rs30 billion The inquiry committee found 12 of the 21 fire stations without water reservoirs and suggested immediate building of the facility more than a year ago, but the situation has not improved. According to Dawn In 2007 than City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has

said the city government has earmarked a fund of Rs100 million to streamline the working of the fire brigade department on modern lines. He said besides purchasing 10 new fire engines, the old ones would be repaired, while new vehicles would be procured and appointment of staff would be made for new fire stations. Fire officers would be sent abroad for training and insurance policy would be introduced for employees of fire brigade department. Besides, a study would be carried out through a consultant firm to bring the department at par with those of developed cities. When asked if any progress was made in the matter, later in April City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal admitted that the fire department lacked resources, but sounded helpless about doing the needful. We are facing a financial crisis, he said. In the American city of Houston, there are more than 4,000 fire tenders for four million people. We planned capacity building of the fire department several times, but (the lack of) funds always emerged as a roadblock. He said the CDGK was unable even to pay salaries to its employees, and in this situation it was not in a position to think about these issues. According a report published in The Nation 2009, Rs1,000 million have been issued for Karachi by the CM. before general elections 2008, the city government took Rs1,600m on conditions of adjusting it. Karachi is the only district that has been given 100 per cent progressive funds in 2008 December by federal and provincial governments. Federal PSDP has funds for Karachi which are as follows; Rs1,000m for Circular Railway, Rs300m for sewerage project, Rs300m for CNG buses, Rs1,000m for Lyari reestablishment project, Rs928m for Lyari package, Rs22b for Green Karachi, Rs700m for health, and Rs8b for Lyari Expressway. In provincial progressive funds more than Rs13b have been allocated for different progressive works in Karachi. In another Dawn report published in Jan 2011, Funds provided by the Asian Development Bank under a technical assistance loan in 2006 for improving city planning in Karachi and sustainable and efficient financing of mega-city urban infrastructure were grossly misused, involving unauthorised expenditures. An audit of the unfinished project reveals that an amount in excess of $400,000 in salary payments above allowed rates, overhaul of vehicle engines on branded-new cars, and missing reports that were claimed to have been funded with no copies being produced on demand. An audit of the unfinished project reveals an amount in excess of $400,000 in salary payments above allowed rates, overhaul of vehicle engines on brandnew cars, and missing reports that were claimed to have been funded with no copies being produced on demand.
The ADB published on Wednesday [5 January 2011] a completion report of the project and conveyed its displeasure to the government that almost every single technical assistance loan faced serious implementation challenges in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Peoples Party-led governments oft-quoted development packages for Karachi, as well as some key districts in Sindh, are all set to complete by June 2013, which is why the government has allocated very little new money for the projects, planning to carry forward the funds unspent in the outgoing year.

For example, the Lyari Development Package, aimed at appeasing a loyal constituency that in recent months has been threatening to slip out of the partys hands, does not have any new funding in 2012-2013. The Sindh government has not allocated new funds for the package, but will spend the remaining Rs800 million allocated in the previous fiscal year.