There are two kinds of problems associated with the Sindh Building Control (amendment) bill-2009 (SBC-2009), Dr Noman Ahmed of NED University of Engineering and Technology told Kolachi. One issue is political, while the other is administrative.

Presently two political parties are dominating Sindh; one in the urban areas, the other in rest of Sindh. A "very damaging race" is going on between these two parties, both of which intend to control the development affairs of cities in the province. Moreover, the two parallel laws, the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO 2001) and the Sindh Building Control Ordinance (SBCO of 1979) are different. Legal complications can become counter-productive and will hamper the development of the city. This requires a political consensus, which can be in the form of a law, as this particular bill (SBC-2009) is apparently not subscribed by the present political group that controls the City District Government Karachi (CDGK). Even if it is accepted and implemented by the assembly, it would not be able to generate desirable results. Before promulgating this law, there should be a dialogue within the assembly and beyond it.

The second problem regarding SBC-2009 is that the Karachi Master plan 2020 requires to be implemented now, but it has several shortcomings. The only way to overcome it is by establishing an institution of planning on a professional basis; the institute should be neutral and independent. It should examine the provisions of the plan, suggest improvements, and at the same time, chalk out a system of implementation for enforcing its clauses. For larger sustenance, this plan also requires support from the government of Sindh as well as the federal government.

Dr Ahmed said that that the SLGO-2001 covers the whole system; it is a comprehensive law. It takes into account all issues of local governance including development control and master planning. On the other hand, the SBCO was created in 1979, according to the old system of local government and at that time another law for LG existed, which was the SLGO 1979. Both these laws tried to provide details of process of planning and development control.

As a consequence of SBCO-1979, the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) was established in the same year. However, when former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf introduced the SLGO 2001, it was declared an "appropriate law" that would absorb and amalgamate all existing local institutions laws. This was done effectively with two exceptions: the SBCO 1979 was not repealed; hence the KBCA continued to act as a parallel body. Also, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) was not devolved as the KWSB Act of 1996 was not repealed. This incomplete devolution created "problems of administration," Dr Ahmed explained to Kolachi.

Similarly, the proposed board in the SBC bill 2009 would be a parallel body, said that Dr Ahmed. Therefore, until and unless the CDGK is taken on board, it will create problems at the level of implementation of decisions.

Regarding high density zones, Dr Ahmed was of the view that high rise buildings in proposed zones should be allowed only when basic suggestion, technical evaluation and detailed groundwork is done. Without technical evaluation, the zones will be disastrous for already overloaded infrastructure. Because according to planning principles, creation of any high density zones should be made conditional to the infrastructure revitalisation plan.

When high rise buildings would be allowed on main roads, it would penetrate into the surrounding residential areas. An example of this is the commercialisation of Sharea Faisal and Tariq Road. When high-rise buildings are constructed, they create problems such as privacy, parking issues, shortage of supply of basic amenities and etc for nearby residential areas. Ultimately, they have to either shift to some other location or develop high-rise buildings. It is because of this reason that now only few bungalows exist at Tariq Road.

Another problem associated with commercialisation is that it tends to increase value of a property unnaturally, which is against the values of planning. It makes business or trade difficult. When huge sum of money is spent on purchasing or hiring a small shop, how would one run a business?

Existing infrastructure in proposed high density zones is around 20 to 25 years old. No renovation work has been carried out there since then, the streets are the same and the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation provides power under pressure. When commercial load of power increases, it negatively affects the nearby residential areas. And as public's voice is not heard, they continue to suffer. A clear example of such condition is the PECHS area, where commercialisation has increased. During the recent monsoon rains, it was the most affected area of the city where electricity remained shut off for three days because of load and ad hoc connections given under pressure. Moreover, Managing Director, KWSB on record has refused to provide water facility to future high-rise buildings from its existing water allocation due to shortage of water.

When Kolachi asked former city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan to comment on the establishment of the 34-member board, he said that first of all town planning is required to decide what is needed where and later setting up of any board can be taken into consideration. He further said that that such a huge board would not ensure coordination as too many cooks spoil the broth. There is need of small board comprising competent and professional people, he concluded.

Shehri lambasts proposed board

On the other hand, representative from SHEHRI – a citizens' organization said that that the proposed board is imbalanced. All the members of the board except few members, all other members are public servants and paid staff. There is no representation from the public. The board should have been established on 60:40 ratio.

Citizens' organisations like Shehri, which has proved its credential, have been ignored in the board. However, the SHEHRI representative agreed that there should be coordination among land owning agencies. It is good idea that all concerned stake holders sit together and work for city's development, but making chief controller KBCA as the secretary of the board is unacceptable because of the KBCA's credibility issue. The representative suggested that instead, chief secretary should be member/secretary.

Moreover, the representative was of the view that the decisions should be in 'consonance' with master plan of 2020. One may call the master plan as good, bad or ugly but it contains input of all and can be improved. Shehri further suggested that there should be one meeting of the board after every three months. Quorum for meetings should be 75 per cent and there should be two-third majority quorum for vote to be carried. But unfortunately these things have not been enshrined in the bill, which means that any eight members who may be officials can agree and decide matters, Shehri representative added.

Shehri also opposed the proposed high density zones (HDZ). The board should develop coherent policy for 'sustainable development' and expansion because the HDZ are for rich people only. Density zones should be outside the city and outskirts should be developed and "let the rich people go there". Urban renewal should accommodate people who cannot have access to transport, schools and hospitals and who are less fortunate.

According to the Shehri representative, there would be negative implications of high density zones as City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has already commercialised 19 roads. The implications of HDZ would be more visible in zone-B, which pertained to PECHS. Since houses in PECHS are of 300, 400, 600 and 1000 yards, how can a 40-storey building be developed on 300 yards? Where parking arrangements would be made? What will be the impact on civic facilities? "It is not a sustainable development," Shehri told Kolachi. – IA

Official version

The Sindh Building Control (amendment) bill 2009 is a proposal submitted by local government. It is a draft and legislators can bring changes in it whatever they deem fit and proper, said that law secretary Sayed Ghulam Nabi Shah.

He said that if legislators think that the proposed board is imbalanced, they can bring changes in it. He said that because of increasing population, importance of establishing high density zones has increased and under the proposed law, the government can declare any area as high density zone and allow high rise buildings there. However, he said that it would be done after seeking no-objection certificate (NOC) from all heads of departments/boards concerned. Every aspect of high rise building would be assessed before giving it a green signal including provision of basic amenities. – IA

'High-density zones need of the hour': Abad

"The proposed board in the bill is a good initiative. It is broad-based board, comprising almost all stake-holders and the government has intended to get maximum input," chairman Association of Builders and Developers (Abad) Farooq Zaman told Kolachi.

He said that establishment of two high density zones is the need of the hour in view of growing population and increasing property value. He asserted that this would help reduce the price of property in the city.

Quoting examples of Hong Kong and Bangkok, Zaman said that commercialisation and densification is a universal phenomenon and it has happened in the past where bungalows were turned into high rise buildings. He added that with proper policy, possible implications of commercialisation can be reduced. "I do not think problems would accrue from these high density zones," Zaman concluded. – IA

The current high-rise residential buildings in the city are supply-driven rather than need-driven, resulting in 35 per cent space being unsold or unutilised, said NED University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Architecture and Planning Department Chairman Dr Noman Ahmed.

"Karachi has 186,000 hectares of built-up area, out of which one-third is unutilised," Ahmed told Kolachi, adding that acceptable densities are 5,000 per hectare.

In other words, constructing skyscrapers in the city would not only divert the scant resources towards the needs of the super-rich, but it would also be a huge gamble because of the high probability that a substantial number of these apartments would remain unutilised.

Experts believe that given the resource constraints of the city, President Asif Ali Zardari's suggestion to build 100-storey skyscrapers in Karachi, if implemented, would weigh down the city with added demands of water, sewerage, electricity and roads. This pressure on resources, they claim, would appease a miniscule segment of the total population, while other sections of society suffer.

The population of the metropolis in 2005, according to the estimates of City District Government Karachi (CDGK), was about 15 million. This number is expected to swell to 27 million by 2020. Similarly, the total number of motor vehicles registered in 2007 was 1.8 million; even if the existing road infrastructure is maintained, there will be immense load on current roads if the 100-storey skyscrapers are created and population density increased.

"The 100- storey buildings in and around Karachi, particularly on the coast, will be a great source of generating air, land and water pollution, including congestion. There will be a breakdown of municipal services and utilities, there are bound to be more traffic jams, overstress and reduction or deterioration of recreational places. There will also be a denial of access to recreation to the poor and lower middle-class segments. It will also be a blatant violation of the recently prepared and long awaited, Karachi Strategic Master Plan 2020," said Professor Mohammad Nauman*, associate professor at NED University of Engineering and Technology.

"Such plans would further deepen the wedge between rich and the poor beyond all limits, since municipal services, security and all benefits will flow towards the rich, and would starve the poor. Infrastructure in poor and lower middle-class areas would also be depleted beyond imagination, ultimately reducing them to slums. This will be a process whereby more slums would be created in Karachi," he warned.

"The relationship of density is essentially one of public transport," explained eminent architect and town planner Arif Hasan. "If in a business district, the density is high and the transport system is poor, you have immense congestion. Karachi business districts today needs transport systems that can cater to 20,000 to 30,000 persons per hour. The systems at present cater to only 4,000 to 6,000 persons per hour," he maintained. "The increase of density has to be determined by an urban design exercise, and not only on ad-hoc basis," he cautioned.

Despite massive population growth, essentially due to internal migration to the tune of 400,000 to 600,000 per annum, as well as a water supply shortfall of 150-200 million gallons per day, housing in the city is mostly supply-driven. Karachi Strategic Development Plan-2020 points out that densification are beyond the capacity of the infrastructure.

"Karachi is unique in that most of its land is controlled by Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the cantonment boards, not by the CDGK. The city is run by as many as 14 civic agencies," Ejaz Ahed, former president of the Institute of Architects Pakistan (IAP) told Kolachi. "These agencies should be brought under one umbrella because the city can't function amicably with 14 agencies," he said.

Strangely enough, the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) bosses who have been entrusted to amend by-laws to make room for skyscrapers have totally ignored the recommendations of Karachi Strategic Master Plan 2020. KBCA has been entrusted with the job, despite the fact that it is essentially an implementing agency and is not supposed to amend by-laws.

While the role of the KBCA has been bitterly criticised, given that it has been the foremost agency to condone all building irregularities under one pretext or another, sources alleged that the top brass of the building authority is "very close" to President Zardari, and thus, they have been assigned the task to amend the by-laws.

"The city desperately needs funds and planning for the housing of the poor - a good, affordable public transport system, healthcare, affordable and quality educational institutions, generation of jobs for the poor through industrialisation, provision of electricity, water and sewerage facilities, as well as recreational places for the poor. Above all, the provision of security to all citizens is imperative," Nauman told Kolachi.

"Instead of concentrating on these basic issues, the government is bent upon diverting all funds and expertise towards the rich to fulfil infrastructural requirements of mega-construction projects. All above mentioned municipal services and utilities will now be provided to these projects, thus dividing the city between rich and poor," he said. He also expressed his fear that tremendous environmental degradation would occur as a result of building skyscrapers.

Nauman further pointed out that no pre-feasibility or feasibility has been conducted for such projects – a requirement which is mandatory under law. "Environmental impact assessments are a pre-requisite for such projects as the magnitude of air, water and land pollution are gauged, while congestion, traffic, transport and other problems are also weighed," he said.

Farhan Anwar, another distinguished planner, concurred with other experts' account. He said that the city continues to bleed due to bad governance, high-handedness of the authorities at the helm of affairs, and the myopic planning of those concerned – ultimately endangering the built and natural environment of the city.

The haphazard development of the seventh largest city of the world and the largest Muslim city on earth is despite the fact its per capita output exceeds the whole of Pakistan by 50 per cent, it boasts of 32 per cent of total industrial establishment of Pakistan, and it has 50 per cent of value addition in insurance and banking. The city also boasts 72.7 per cent of the large scale units and 71.6 per cent of employed labour in the province, and has the distinction of having a 67.42 per cent literacy rate as compared to 63.08 per cent for rest of Pakistan, he said.

* Interview with Prof. Mohammad Nauman conducted before his demise

Despite being a multicultural and multi-layered city, when it comes to housing, 47.8 per cent of the population of Karachi lives in slums. Considering this figure and reviewing the government's proposal to develop the metropolis into a high-density zone under a law, experts believe that a city should have the lifestyle and infrastructure to support the system.

"These models have been successful in Dubai and other mega cities because they had the infrastructure to support it," Muneer Sultan, prominent builder and Chairman of Urban Development, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) told Kolachi. "In the megapolis cities of the world certificates of habitation are issued to ensure standards. There is annual maintenance, underground and overhead tanks cleaning, sewerage lines maintenance and face lifting of the structures," he explained.

"If the government plans to do such construction it should allow local builders who are familiar with the atmosphere of the city as they will work with dedication for the city instead of foreign investors who are here just for making profits," Sultan said.

Talking about the already existing high rise projects initiated in the city he said that all of them were started by foreign builders. The already existing high density zones in the city with foreign capital investment did not garner much success. Grand projects such as Emaar Pakistan and Creek are two obvious examples. While Emaar is still incomplete with vague future, Creek Vista and Creek Marina are almost complete. "But they are high cost projects catering luxury to the elite class and thus can easily be maintained." While on the other hand in order to start similar projects in the proposed zones of I.I Chundrigar Road to Clifton and Sharea Faisal to Shahrah-e-Quaideen will be a difficult task. Even if completed these will require heavy maintenance and regularities, he elaborated.

Other experts believe that infrastructure support is the biggest challenge for the city's transformation as we all are witness that the whole city system collapses even with the coming of monsoon season. The current high rise projects may have pulled off well but it is because of the heavy costs and wealthy stakeholders involved in it. In order to introduce similar projects in the localities of the middle and labour class strong regulatory systems and bodies are needed to keep the system intact.

Moreover, some experts were of the view that in order to develop a true metropolis the living vein should be in rhythm of that development which is not the case in Karachi. Here, more than 50 per cent of the population is without proper housing facilities and cannot afford to live a modern and corporate lifestyle.

"The government's proposal to develop high density zones is a welcome and progressive initiative, however, what the population needs presently is low cost housing units rather than skyscrapers," said Tahir, a middle class citizen. Although this is a reasonable concern but Sultan thinks otherwise, "This is what we have to train and educate our people for. Karachi has a bright future and all the capabilities and resources of becoming an international megapolis."

-- The News photos by

Naqeeb-ur-Rehman