AT least 35 children and two female teachers were killed on Thursday when the roof of a school collapsed during morning classes in Peshawar’s Dir Colony. A higher-floor roof collapsed onto classrooms below, crumpling two storeys of the building. Police has registered an FIR against owners, shareholders and construction contractor of the school alleging that substandard construction materials were used in the building, which was in a dilapidated condition and unsuitable for use as a school. It also states that complaints had previously been made about deteriorating walls and roofs, but the school management allegedly failed to address the concerns.
The authorities concerned are vowing to hold accountable to those responsible for the tragedy and compensation amount has been announced for families of the victims but nothing can compensate for the loss of precious young lives. It is shocking that no lessons were learnt from similar tragedies elsewhere in the country caused by lack of attention towards structural safety of the building, especially those used for commercial purposes or for educational/health services. It is known to all that many of the private schools operate from poorly maintained rented buildings with limited or no oversight, contributing to recurring safety concerns. In June, at least 14 children died when the roof of a tutoring centre housed in a dilapidated building collapsed in Lahore, prompting the Punjab Government to initiate a process to ensure safety of buildings used for such purposes. However, the issue is not confined to school buildings and it should be an eye-opener for all civic bodies as well as provincial and federal governments that a Senate committee concluded that approximately 90% of buildings across the country fail to meet safety and structural standards. Building codes are widely violated all over the country in collusion with relevant inspectors and bodies responsible for oversight during construction. This is despite the fact that Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) developed a comprehensive Building Code of Pakistan (BCP-2021) based on the International Building Code and governs seismic-resilient design, structural strength and electro-mechanical systems. Problems stem from widespread practices of initiating construction of houses and other buildings without proper maps or waiting for approval of the design by the relevant departments besides use of substandard material to cut costs. There is some semblance of quality where construction activity is undertaken by owners themselves but there are complaints of poor quality in case of buildings constructed by contractors. Some incidents including the tragedy of burning of new-born babies in the nursery of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) also highlighted issues like lack of proper emergency exits. The KP Government has done well by directing the Communication and Works (C&W) Department to form technical teams to inspect all government school buildings across the province following the deadly collapse of the classroom roof. These technical teams will inspect roofs, ceilings, walls, beams, foundations, staircases and other structural components to identify defects, maintenance issues and potential safety hazards. They will also recommend repairs, structural strengthening and rehabilitation measures, along with implementation priorities and timelines for corrective action. Faithful implementation of these clear guidelines will, hopefully, help prevent such tragedies in future. However, it is all the more important that compliance of building codes is ensured at all costs and corrupt officials, who clear substandard construction activity and issue completion certificates must be taken to task as they are playing with the lives of the people. It is also the responsibility of parents and members of the civil society to raise awareness among people about safety aspects of buildings and families should avoid risking the lives of their kids by sending them to killer buildings. At the same time, other provinces should also undertake similar exercises and the outcome of building surveys should be shared with the general public.
