Not safe 700 students at Karachi College are in danger.
Serious safety concerns have been raised by the Government Degree Girls College Green Belt in Mehmoodabad’s declining state, as the evacuation of the dangerously decaying building is still being delayed due to a bureaucratic battle between the college administration and the Works and Services Wing of the College Education Department.
The structure, which is administered by the Sindh College Education Department, has been deemed structurally hazardous. The structure has developed cracks, parts of the ceiling on the bottom floor are about to fall, and the top floors are said to be unstable.
Nearly 700 enrolled students and staff continue to use the property in spite of several warnings, endangering their lives every day. Several months ago, the college principal initially brought attention to this concerning state of degradation in a formal statement to the regional director of colleges.
The Works and Services Department responded by sending out many letters on August 26 and September 1 requesting that the property be evacuated right away in order to prevent any unfortunate events. But so far, nothing significant has been done.
The original intention, according to sources, was to temporarily relocate Green Belt College to another government college in the vicinity of Azam Basti. There was reportedly a standoff because the planned site’s administrators verbally opposed the change.
Consequently, the college still operates in the same deteriorating structure. Only a small number of classrooms have been cleared out, and some are currently being kept in temporary spaces inside labs.
The Express Tribune made several failed attempts to get in touch with Prof. Anees Fatima, the college principal. Requests for comment were not answered by her, even after multiple calls and SMS messages.
Prof. Qazi Arshad, Regional Director of Colleges, acknowledged the building’s hazardous state in an interview with The Express Tribune. He also disclosed that the structure was built next to or directly over a drainage drain, which has made issues more difficult.
He criticized the Works and Services Department for writing to the college administration directly, circumventing the proper procedure. “Soil samples have now been sent for analysis. A final decision about relocation will be made after the report is received,” he continued.
The Works and Services Subdivision-I had unequivocally described the structure as “extremely dangerous” in their email dated August 26 and recommended an immediate evacuation. On September 1, a follow-up letter reaffirmed the urgency and instructed the management to leave the college’s dangerous areas.
The lives of hundreds of young kids and teachers are in jeopardy since the facility is still occupied in spite of these obvious warnings.