RAWALPINDI – After the inferno tragedy in Karachi and Lahore garment factories, the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) has issued 500 notices to around 150 industrial units operating without adequate fire safety measures in the garrison city. It should be mentioned that there are 150 factories in Rawalpindi including six textile mills, 30 flourmills and over 70 pharmaceutical companies.
Sources said that notices have been served on the industrial units; however, no concrete action was taken in this regard.
In order to limit loss of property and human life in the incidents of fire outbreak, the CDGR must ensure fire safety measures at all industrial units, which range from steel mills, flour mills, food processing units, building material industries, pharmaceutical companies to hardware and electric appliances manufacturing industries and large-sized warehouses.
Most of the plazas in the garrison city and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board have been constructed without emergency exits or violating building plans which could lead to colossal loss of human life and property as was witnessed recent fire tragedies in Karachi and Lahore. Concerned authorities including Rawal Town Municipal Administration, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and Cantt Board seemed to be waiting for any tragedy as these bodies usually come in action only after some thing bad take place.
It should be mentioned here that construction against building plans and no emergency exits in the plazas was only possible with connivance of concerned authorities.
Sources said that purported surveys were conducted whenever fire incidents were reported from other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, P&C department inspectors were directed in written to conduct survey of the plazas falling in the jurisdiction of RTMA so as to identify buildings without emergency exits.
Similarly, RCB has formed a committee under the supervision of Engineer Muhammad Akbar, which would conduct survey and submit report of buildings without emergency exits.