Sindh govt to enlist help of private sector for firefighting services at shrines.
KARACHI, April 29: Sindh government will enlist help and services of private sector and its relevant associations to ensure fire protection and related emergency measures at major shrines situated across the province.
This was stated by Special Assistant to Sindh chief minister on Auqaf and Religious Affairs Dr. Abdul Qayoom Soomro while being chief guest at 6th Fire Safety & Security Awards and Convention-2016 held the other day.
The National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) in collaboration with Fire Protection Association of Pakistan organized the programme in which 33 companies were given awards for adopting best in-house fire protection practices and measures.
Dr. Soomro said that though Religious Affairs and Auqaf department of provincial govt headed by him had no direct relevance to subject of fire safety but his department would give due value to the issue as it would ensure protection to human life and belongings, which is also the centrepiece of teachings of Islam
He advised organizers of the convention to continue with their good efforts for cause of fire protection and safety as in next year his Religious Affairs department would fully assist organizing such a moot on the important civic issue.
He appreciated the services being rendered by non-governmental and private sector organizations for fire protection and safety in society saying that their services were much of superior and greater value than that of the govt in fire fighting operations.
The CM’s special assistant said that government had all the resolve to eliminate terrorism from the country so that industries could be revived for economic growth of the country.
He said the government’s drive to eliminate terrorism and lawlessness had achieved up to 90 per cent success in Sindh in general and in Karachi particularly so that business and industrial activities could be promoted.
Earlier in his speech, Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, former advisor to prime minister on textiles, lamented that Pakistan had no industrial safety laws on occupational safety as recently admitted by the Federal Human Resource minister in National Assembly.
“If you recalled Supreme Court has directed provincial and federal governments to draft a bill in this regard after evolving consensus but since no time frame was given, this legislation is still pending”.
He said that industrial accidents and fire incidents had become an everyday routine in most industrial cities of Pakistan. Absence of precautionary measures and lack of robust regulatory systems has put the lives of labourers in permanent danger, said Dr. Baig.
“The worst disaster in history of Pakistan took place on September 11, 2012 in Baldia Town Karachi at Ali Enterprises Factory. Some 259 workers, including women and youngsters died because they were trapped inside the locked premises,” said the former PM’s advisor.
He said that occurrence of Industrial disasters and the subsequent loss of human lives were attributed to insufficient safety precautions on the part of factory owners. Some industrialists avoid investment in fire extinguishing equipment in order to save costs at the expense of the lives of workers, he added.
President Super Highway Association of Industry Mehtab Uddin Chawla lamented that industrial zone in the city he represented had been established some 25 to 30 years back but the area and its surrounding localities including Sohrab Goth and Gulshan-e-Maymar lacked any fire station.
He said that a number of emergency services were operating in the city but as they were only maintain a fleet of ambulances as number of ambulances with voluntary organizations could be curtailed to half to have a few fire tenders desperately needed here.
He said that industrialists could invest in firefighting equipment at their factories but even then such emergency arrangements could provide protection up to maximum one hour in case of any major fire disaster.
So in any instance, the industries needed proper backup support for firefighting for a prolonged period on behalf of civic authorities of the city, said Mr. Chawla.
Wajahat Ullah Khan, director Fire Protection Association of Pakistan, said that firefight equipment and emergency exit provided at any industrial place or workplace building always remain in the functional state and be accessible to all without any physical obstruction.
Waseem Vohra, former vice-president of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, said that emergency drill for swift evacuation of people from a building in case of a disaster should be a compulsory feature at every national institution including schools and colleges.
Hussain Sabz Ali, a vigilance and fire safety official at Habib Bank, said that in case of earthquake, people inside a high-rise building especially at its upper floors should not rush outside due to very limited reaction time. Instead they should duck beneath tables or similar furniture available in the room to keep sensitive parts of their body safe against any falling debris, he said. Later, chief guest gave away Fire Safety Awards among the successful companies.
