The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s Fire Brigade which issues NOC prior to the construction of high-rise buildings in Karachi, has asked Sindh Building Control Authority to include a member of the Department in the technical committee for approval of the building plan.
It also proposed to add 10 percent fee for fire safety measures in each building plan. The second meeting of the six-member committee set up on the instructions of Administrator Karachi LaIq Ahmed was held under the chairmanship of Convener Committee Legal Adviser AzraMuqeem, said a spokesperson of the KMC on Tuesday.
Senior Director Finance and Accounts Rashid Nizam, Director Municipal Utility Charges Nayab Saeed, Chief Fire Officer Mubeen Ahmed, Fire Officer Muhammad Humayun, Former Chief Fire Officer Muhammad NaeemYousuf, Panel Advocate KMC Iqbal Khurram and Additional Director Land KMC Amjad Zaidi were also present on the occasion.
The meeting presented various proposals for making the issuance of NOC better and more efficient while also reviewing the progress made on the steps taken in the previous meeting.
The participants also proposed to charge 10 percent fee for each building plan of Sindh Building Control Authority.
It was informed in the meeting that a letter has been sent by the KMC Fire Brigade to the Director General Sindh Building Control Authority in the last meeting of the committee.
It may be mentioned that Administrator LaIq Ahmed has directed the committee to conduct a complete technical and construction review for the issuance of NOC of fire brigade before construction of high rise buildings in the city so that the directions of the High Court in this regard can be fully implemented.
Multi-storey buildings must have the necessary firefighting equipment and systems to better deal with any accident situation.
The committee will issue no-objection certificates for the construction of high-rise buildings and also fix the fee rate for it.
NOCs will be issued in advance for the construction of high-rise buildings as per the regular procedure.
The meeting also considered issuing NOC and formulating a policy on the imposition of fees for it, as well as linking the payment of fire insurance for high-rise buildings and all domestic and commercial projects to municipal utility charges.
It was informed on the occasion that this committee has been set up under Sindh High Court Order to formulate legally applicable policy keeping in view all the technical and construction aspects and fire-fighting principles.
