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hazard MOOD STREET TOWN
TALK education Dull
Remove the risk Rescue 1122 has devised a safety plan to train shopkeepers
in fire-fighting in Hafeez By Aoun Sahi TThe traders in Hafeez Centre claim it as one of the biggest computer and mobile markets in Pakistan. A 30 minute walk in the plaza in the peak hours makes one feel that the traders are right as hundreds (may be thousands) of people visiting different computer and mobile phone shops and kiosks can be seen trying to make deals either to sell or buy a product. Most of the shopkeepers and customers are so involved in
doing business that they cannot even feel the hanging wires that are touching
them or that they are standing right next to the electricity meter. Most of
them even don’t give importance to the smell of diesel fumes created due to
use of diesel generators. The market at the same time is one of the main
centers of e-waste as heaps of old computers, laptops and mobiles can be seen
in different shops in the plaza. One hardly finds an opening point in the plaza’s basement as most of the galleries have been permanently closed to use the space as shop. All these factors make it a very scary place as hundreds of thousands of electronics gadgets and circuits are there and only a meager spark can create havoc there. It is not that shopkeepers and customers are not aware of this fact. They know that the plaza is prone to fire and they have observed it more than once. The latest incident happened on December 9, 2010. In no time, the fire that erupted in the first floor also gripped the second one. It took more than three hours to Rescue 1122 to control the fire. More than a dozen shops were gutted and three persons including a rescuer were injured. Poor electric wiring was stated to be the reason behind the incident when traders had been using excessive load. After the incident, Rescue 1122 management did a survey of the plaza and handed over a security plan to the shopkeepers to be implemented if they did not want to see such incidents in future. But most of the shopkeepers give the safety measures least importance; they believe that destruction came from the Almighty. "One can take all the safety measures but when Allah wants the destruction nothing can stop it," says Muhammad Hanif, who runs a mobile kiosk on the first floor of the centre. The plaza which was originally designed to have a couple of hundred shops on the first two floors and offices and residential apartments on the upper floors, these days is home to more than 800 shops and hundreds of kiosks of traders who deal in new and old computers and mobiles. Faheem Jahanzeb, spokesperson of Rescue 1122, the agency that is responsible not only to fight emergencies but also to look after and suggest safety arrangements for markets and offices, doesn’t see it as an isolated incident. "There were at least three incidents of fire in Hafeez Centre last year and every time it was because of short-circuit. Loose wiring is one of the main reasons. Every time the authorities gave assurance that they will take all safety measures but never actually took them. Leave alone smoke detectors and sprinklers, most of the shopkeepers do not even have fire extinguishers at their shops," says rescue Jahanzeb. He says that Rescue 1122 has designed a safety plan for them and has offered them to get first-hand training on fire and emergencies fighting. "So far they haven’t approached us for that." The situation is very tricky these days as excessive load
shedding of electricity has led to alternative arrangements in the market
like generators and UPSs for uninterrupted power supply. For this they have
made new circuits and hanged more wires in the shops and in the corridors of
the plaza. "Many of them don’t even turn off their UPSs in the nights
to make sure that they find their gadgets fully charged in the morning. It is
very risky," says Azeem Asghar, who runs a mobile shop on the ground
floor of the plaza. He does not think that electricity distribution system at
the plaza is going to be corrected in near future. "People showed a great deal of willingness to alter the old wirings after the fire erupted but this seriousness disappears after a few days. They are get ready to close down their shops for two/three days to alter the wiring. It looks mean but most of us cannot afford it. This can ruin our business as customers can start going to other such markets of the city," Azeem Asghar, a shopkeeper explains. Faisal Karim, President of traders’ union of Hafeez Centre says that nobody wants to destroy his business. "We are trying to take the initiative and planning to install our own fire fighting system in the plaza". The union has also formed a committee to find solution to the problem. Muhammad Ahsan Rasheed, head of the committee says that everything is very ‘loose’ in the plaza. "We need a serious effort to make things better. We need to change the policy of putting everything on Allah". He says that many shopkeepers have fire extinguishers. "On December 9, 2010 many of the shopkeepers tried to use them but could not reach close to fire because of the hazardous smoke erupting from fire". He has suggested the union to hire a professional fire consultant to install the alarm and sprinkling system and to arrange the wires properly." He is not sure how many shopkeepers will agree to his suggestion.
Polar Pakistani By Haneya Zuberi WWhen a security guard empties twenty seven bullets into a person whose security was what he got paid for, sports a smug smile on his face and generates serene vibes; you know something is not right. You know something is missing in the puzzle something which is not black and white but is a shade of grey. Which shade of grey, nobody knows as yet. Mumtaz Qadri, a security personnel of Salman Taseer,
Governor of Punjab shot him last week while he was travelling. The reason
Qadri gives for the murder is that Taseer degraded the blasphemy law and he
felt, as a Muslim, it was his responsibility to kill him. He has no regrets
or even any remote feelings of remorse on this act. Since the last two months, Governor Taseer was taking a moderate stance regarding the blasphemy law and on altogether another level, pushing boundaries which have been taken for granted. He was posing a mammoth threat to not just himself but to the whole idea of a liberal, moderate Pakistan. The societal rift which has taken place as an outcome of Taseer’s stance on the blasphemy law is outrageous to say the least. I have not seen my country in a more polar state than where it stands today. We have Muftis like Mufti Muhammad Idris Usmani who has declared a Fatwa stating that Qadri is the true blasphemous figure in this act and that he has "committed gunah-e-azeem (great sin) by killing an innocent soul." While at the same time we have scores of muftis and maulanas who have declared that even participating in the funeral prayers of Taseer is a major sin as he committed blasphemy. Whereas another religious authority, Allama Javed Ghamdi, is of the view that the blasphemy act needs to be repealed as the law in its present form and shape is being misused by exploiters. On Wednesday, on my Facebook page, where there were many statuses which were dedicated to Governor Taseer and were promoting feelings of sympathy and sending condolences, some had given hope of a secular Pakistan, some were talking about the tolerance of intolerance that kills but at the same time, there were statuses which glorified Qadri for the assassination, there were statuses which reflected the idea that this event can result in the betterment of the society. There was a Facebook fan page for Mumtaz Qadri and at the same time there is an open invitation for a candle light vigil in front of the Governor House in support of ‘Shaheed’ Salman Taseer. Apparently, when Mumtaz Qadri’s Facebook fan page was removed, a text message chain started on cell phones which said that Facebook is the true enemy of Islam as it has banned the page which is supporting someone who has killed a blasphemer. Salman Taseer is a Shaheed to some, the voice of a liberal Pakistan to others and a blasphemer figure to the rest. Mumtaz Qadri is a hero to some and a cold hearted murderer to the others. While everyone in the city has a different opinion as to who the real blasphemer in this tale is, I think what we should be more worried about is how polariwed an average Pakistani has become. That is where the shades of grey emerge. What makes everything even bleaker is that people are finding it difficult to distinguish between right and wrong. In the future as progressive voices continue to be muted, the answer to question of the whole basis of right and wrong has to come out. If this is not sorted out in time, the societal rift will worsen and this gap will expand which will lead to societal decay. What worries me even more is what Rumi said, "Nations die when they can no longer distinguish between right and wrong."
*Exhibition of Illuminated Calligraphy accompanied by a
display of rare Quranic manuscripts & discussion on Surah Fateha today at
3:00pm at Hast-o-Neest Centre for Traditional Art and Culture &
Aiwan-e-Ilm-o-Fun Pakistan, 10 CommercialBuilding at the corner of Anarkali
and The Mall; former Croweaters Gallery near Tollinton. Special Announcement:
Handwritten & Illuminated Quran Project 4:30 – 5:30. The calligraphy
exhibition will remain open for two weeks.
*Billboard Exhibition curated by Shahana Rajani at Alhamra Arts Council, The Mall from Thu, Jan 13 to Sat, Jan 22.
*Talk Session: ‘2011 - 2012 Undergraduate Exchange Program for Pakistan’ at Government College University on We, Jan 12. The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan offers opportunities to study for a semester or a year in US. Students will receive academic credit but not a degree.
*Theatre: ‘SABZ’ at Alhamra Arts Council, The Mall till Tue, Jan 11. Time: 7:00pm. The play talks about us as a nation and our approach toward socio-political issues. Written & Directed by Abdullah Farhatullah.
*Puppet Show for children at Alhamra Arts Council, The Mall every Sunday at 11:00am.
Obstructing research PU latest research school awaits funds for full-fledged working By Arshad Shafiq TThe Punjab University School of Physical Sciences has not yet started functioning fully because of delay in the release of funds by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The Rs195.521 million research school project was approved by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2005. The project is a joint venture of the Punjab government and the HEC with a pool of Rs97.760 million each. The Punjab government has paid its entire share and the HEC has so far paid only Rs20 million. In 2008, the Punjab University decided to use the second
floor of the building of the Centre for Undergraduate Studies for the school
instead of constructing a new block. Though the project is jointly launched by the Punjab Government and the Higher Education Commission, the Punjab University after its completion will bear its expenditure to run it and allocate funds in its annual budget. After the approval of the new research school in 2005, the PU VC decided to hand over the school project to Prof Dr Fazal Aleem, Director of Centre for High Energy Physics, to start procurement of various instruments and equipment for the school. Later, in 2008 Prof Dr Jamil Anwar, Dean Faculty of Sciences, was given additional charge of the school and was appointed Director General School of Physical Sciences. The school will carry out M.Phil leading to Ph.D programme for students who have done masters in the disciplines offered by the departments of High Energy Physics, Physics, Solid State Physics, Chemistry and Space Sciences. The new research school will provide, under the same roof, state-of-the art facilities for researchers. Currently, these departments are separately conducting M.Phil leading to Ph.D programme but with the completion of the new school, they will send their students to the new school which has set up research labs equipped with latest and upgraded instruments and software. Labs for Physics M.Phil, Ph.D students are: Theoretical Physics Lab I, Theoretical Physics Lab II, Electronics Physics Lab and X-Ray Lab. Research classes in X-ray Lab and Electronics Physics Lab have started whereas Theoretical Physics Lab I for Ph.D students and Theoretical Physics Lab II for M.Phil students are near completion. Labs for Solid State Physics are FAB Lab and Characterization and Modification Lab. Research classes in these labs have started. Labs for Chemistry include CHNS Lab and Advance Research Chemistry Lab. The school also has Remote Sensing Lab, Metrological Lab, a library, three computer sections, DG office, main office and a mosque. Talking to TNS, School of Physical Sciences Director General (DG) Prof Dr Jamil Anwar said: "We have almost developed the school infrastructure except for appointing hierarchy. The university has to hire people to run the school and for this it is waiting for HEC funds. "We have written a letter to the Higher Education Commission for early release of remaining funds. The HEC has a plan to use the school as Renewable Energy Resource Centre, which would be the first of its kind in the country." He added the school project was launched after consultations with the heads of the departments concerned including High Energy Physics, Physics, Solid State Physics, Chemistry and Space Sciences. The heads of these departments attend meetings whenever these are called to discuss the school affairs. Talking to TNS, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi says, "This year the commission’s first priority is to secure funds for scholarships which have been secured and now the commission from this month will start releasing funds for its other projects." High Energy Physics Department Director, Dr Haris Rasheed says, "The School of Physical Sciences does not have well-defined and documented hierarchy. Everything is verbal here. So, there is a need to give the incumbent hierarchy a practical shape for a full swing start of the school." There is no doubt HEC pending funds is the main reason for late start of the research school but the heads of two departments are not taking interest in the school. They want that the new research equipment should be installed in their respective departments so that they could continue their research programmes there instead of sending students to the new school, says a PU official on condition of anonymity. The research school project was launched after consultations with the departments concerned. If these heads are not convinced to join the school, the school future will be at stake and millions of instruments and software may be destroy, he adds. nizami_shafiq@hotmail.com
Public remains generally dissatisfied despite millions invested in environment department By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed JJaved Ahmed, 65, is the president of his locality’s
welfare society. He is always on his toes and seen mostly in newspaper
offices, outside press club or holding placards to condemn some incident or
raise a demand. Nowadays, he has assigned himself the task of clearing his
neighborhood of a plastic recycling plant. The ongoing activity in the plant, set up in a boundaried but empty plot, is allegedly polluting the surrounding air and drains. Javed and his close associates have spent thousands on publicizing the issue and mobilizing the locals, but quite amazingly have no idea of the right forum to approach. Talking to TNS, he says the best forum with respect to such complaints is popular print and electronic media. "If they don’t move even now nothing else can make them going." He is totally blank when asked about the process to register complaints with the environment department. Though he knows there are environment officers, he has no idea of where they sit and what functions they perform. There are many others like Javed who raise a lot of hue and cry against activities polluting the environment surrounding them but haven’t ever approached the concerned authorities. Shahid Ali, 37, a poultry shop owner in Shadbagh area is one such example. He says he has become a patient due to the sound created by motorcycle rickshaws. "They remove exhaust baffles of the rickshaws to increase their power. This serves the purpose but creates immense noise which is hard to bear." When asked what has he done to get the problem registered, he says he contributed Rs 2000 to the fund created by the locals to prepare and hang condemnatory banners in the area. His point is that someday a powerful official or a politician, with a will to serve the masses, will take notice of the banners and rescue them. This particular attitude of the general public is the main reason behind the non-resolution of public issues related to environmental degradation, says Jawad Hasan, an eminent environmental lawyer and Additional Advocate General, Punjab. He tells TNS it’s a pity that in the presence of fully functional environment protection department and 800 newly hired competent staff, the benefits are not reaching a large segment of the society. He says under the concerned act, the aggrieved community has to approach the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and wait for 30 days for action. If they are not satisfied at the expiry of this period, they can go to the court against the alleged polluter as well as EPA. Though it needs patience, the exercise does bear fruit in the end. "You’ll be pleased to hear that the environmental tribunal decided 300 cases during the last year. This is pretty fast disposal," he adds. However, he says, there is an issue of overlapping of jurisdiction which affects working of environment department. Sometimes EPA has issue of overlapping with Traffic Police or Irrigation Department or Solid Waste Management (SWM) Department or Health Department. Such problems arise in the cases of air pollution, water contamination, solid waste disposal and hospital waste management issue. The contesting departments refrain from acting due to the prevailing confusion. Jawad says the passing of 18th amendment has also slowed down the process as people fear the existing federal law will be dissolved and Punjab province will come up with one of its own. While general public remains generally dissatisfied with the environment department’s performance, the government claims it has overhauled the whole machinery within no time. It boasts of setting up environmental laboratories in different districts of the province like Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Rahim Yar Khan and Rawalpindi. The project of laboratories has been executed by the environment department to ensure prevalence of National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) all over the province. The project, as per details available with the department, was approved in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) of 2007-08, and was to be completed in three years, by 2010. District Officer (Environment), Lahore, Tariq Zaman Khan tells TNS that his staff is quite active and equipped nowadays. Earlier, there were lots of problems but recently the laboratory was upgraded under the EPA plan to increase the capacity of the department. The funds, he says, were provided by the Planning & Development (P&D) department, Punjab. Tariq says they don’t have to depend on private laboratories as the official one can examine drinking water, soil samples, air content, industrial waste and so on. All the laboratories, he says, are also provided refrigerators to preserve samples. He says people want results overnight but they don’t realize there are capacity issues which affect the work of district environment staff. For example, he says, there are seven inspectors who, on average, handle 200 complaints per month. These include issuance of notices, sealings, appearances in courts etc. He says many a time administrative decisions are challenged in the court which takes some time to decide. Meanwhile, people think there is a delay on part of the environment department but this is not the case. He adds the department moves on complaints filed by the aggrieved and does not act on its own. "If we do that, there are allegations we are targeting people to extract money from them." Tariq accepts there’s a need to enforce NEQs in purely industrial areas around the city like in the vicinity of Hadyara Drain on Ferozepur Road.
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