#UAENews Nestle recalls coffee citing safety reasons: Dubai Municipality says that the situation is … http://bit.ly/aaYirC #knet #IHDubai
#UAENews Nestle recalls coffee citing safety reasons: Dubai Municipality says that the situation is … http://bit.ly/aaYirC #knet #IHDubai
Dubai Municipality has said it will publish the results of a study into large numbers of dead fish which are washing up on the shores of Dubai Creek on Thursday.
The Municipality has been involved in cleaning up the dead fish since they started appearing last month.
On Tuesday evening, workers with plastic bags were seen heading along the stretch of Ras Al Khor, Business Bay and Jaddaf looking the fish that are either floating in the water or had been washed ashore… SOURCE
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| http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/04/12/10303247.html |
04/11/2009 10:54 PM | By Mariam M. Al Serkal and Dina El Shammaa, Staff Reporters
Dubai/Abu Dhabi: Beaches were on the alert last week as the red tide passed through the Gulf waters, stirring the curiosity of residents as to where it was going to hit next.
The Environment Agency at Abu Dhabi (EAD) said that the red tide did not affect the capital, as its usual life cycle is about 3 to 4 days.
Last week red tide was spotted along the Dubai coastline, which prompted Dubai Municipality to close the beaches near the Burj Al Arab and Umm Suqueim Park.
Residents were also warned to avoid eating seafood that had been collected from the algal bloom area since it may be contaminated. City Talk took to the streets and asked residents if they are worried about the red tide and how this has affected them.
Mohammad Al Taweel, 27-year-old sales developer, Saudi Arabia, said: “I was planning to go to the beach [at] the weekend but have cancelled the plan now just to be safe. I read about it in the newspapers and am aware of the red tide phenomena, although I am not exactly sure what side effect it has on humans. But that has not stopped me from eating fish.”
Sibtain Hirji, real estate manager from the United Kingdom, 48, said: “The red tide is supposed to be harmless but it does give you rashes. I have seen that many beaches are empty now but think that people are only scared about it this week, and people will start going to the beach again soon. I have read that it is dangerous to eat fish that are affected by it, so I am not eating it and will wait a couple of weeks before buying it again.”
Jelena Bundesmann, German manager, 45, said: “I spend a lot of time on the beach, and have noticed that the water is milky and that there is less visibility and marine life. There are also more algae on the shores but that is not going to stop me from going to the beach and swimming, unless I see that reddish-brownish colour around me in the water. I will not stop eating fish unless they prove to me that the red tide has an impact on it until then, I have to assume that they only catch fish in good areas in the sea since fish only survive in good water conditions.”…
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| http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/04/06/10301692.html |
04/07/2009 09:09 AM | By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Beaches near Burj Al Arab and another one located close to the Umm Suqeim Park have been closed by the 
Dubai Municipality as traces of Red Tide in these two beaches have surfaced again.
Mohammad Abdul Rehman Hassan, the head of the marine environment and wildlife section, told Gulf News that there were no traces of Red Tide found on Dubai shores in the morning during water testing.
Red tide is the result of an influx of a type of algal bloom; it is so named because it turns the water a reddish colour.
“They have surfaced again and so we have decided to close the beaches to ensure the safety of beachgoers. People are advised not to venture into these two beaches. They should make no contact with the water, nor consume the dead fishes that are washed ashore. Care should also be taken not to inhale the air after a wave hits the shoreline. This can prove hazardous to health,” he said.
Hassan did not rule out the possibility of shutting down more beaches if the Red Tide continues to frequent the area.
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Puffing shisha (hubble bubble) in public parks could be a recreation option of the past soon.
The Dubai Municipality is discussing options to ban or regulate the use of shisha in public parks, officials told Khaleej Times on Wednesday.
The move, which is likely to be announced soon, is an extension of the smoking regulations announced by the civic body from time to time in the past.
Salem bin Mesmar, the Assistant-Director General of Health, Safety and Environment Control said, “the matter is being considered and discussions are on with the concerned authorities at the moment. The decision in this connection will be taken soon.”
Many people, mostly Arab nationals, puff the hubble bubble in public parks and beaches, particularly during the weekends, which is one among their favourite leisure options.
The same could be extended to shisha smoking in public beaches too.
Civic body officials have earlier said that the aim of introducing smoking regulations in public places is aimed at protecting people from the harmful effects of smoking.
Last month, Redha Hasan Salman, the Director of Public Health and Safety Department at the municipality had told Khaleej Times that there will be new and more stringent regulations against smoking in public places this year.
The official had pointed out that 25 per cent of the coffee shops in the emirate continue to serve shisha without abiding by the regulations.
Last year, the civic body had announced regulations on shisha smoking giving a one year grace period for the those operating the business to make necessary changes, which ended in December last year…SOURCE
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Sphere: Related ContentNo ‘one villa, one family’ rule in Dubai
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/02/02/10281267.html 02/02/2009 08:46 AM | By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
Dubai: There is no “one villa, one family” rule in Dubai and the campaign against overcrowded villas has been misunderstood, a top civil official said on Sunday.
Interactive Map: Dubai Rental Index
“The municipality has started a campaign against overcrowding in villas to ensure the safety and security of residents,” clarified Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of the Dubai Municipality.
He said the campaign was targeted against high numbers of people living in villas meant for smaller numbers.
“We can accept five to eight people in a villa – depending on its size – but not 20 to 30 people,” he said.
He explained that overcrowding puts pressure on civic service and also created security and safety problems.
“We face overflowing sewage, water and parking shortages and garbage collection problems in overcrowded villas because facilities in the areas have been designed according to the need of the areas. Overcrowding creates a lot of social implications also,” he added.
He said the municipality did not have any problem with more than one family living in a villa, provided it was big enough…
Sphere: Related ContentDubai’s ‘beaches are clean’
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/02/02/10281264.html 02/02/2009 08:07 AM | By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
Dubai: Dubai’s beaches are clean and free of pollution, said chief of the civic authority Hussain Nasser Lootah, dispelling fresh reports that beaches are tainted with sewage water.
“Beach goers should not worry at all as Dubai beaches are absolutely safe for swimming and the issue of sewage dumping was resolved a month ago,” Lootah told reporters on Sunday.
He said the water samples from the beaches were tested recently and were cleared of any pollutants harmful for human health.
“We took very serious note of illegal dumping of sewage by some sewage tanker drivers in the storm drains opening in the sea. At least 208 sewage tankers were issued fines,” said Lootah, who has recently been appointed as Director General of the Dubai Municipality.
Sphere: Related ContentThe picture of ‘High Life’ Dubai turns grim as one passes along the many labour accommodations in the Al Quoz and Sonapur areas.
These men, toiling every day in the construction industry to make Dubai the most happening city in the world, are literally living amidst foul smell, raw sewage and dirt for months now.
Though the Dubai Municipality has, and is taking several steps to contain the problem, the menace does not seem to cease.
It is not only the labourers who are caught in this awkward situation but also residents who go through this mucky situation everyday of their life. Residential areas such as the International City have also been hard hit by the sewage hazard.
For the last three months, labourers in Al Quoz and Sonapur have bitterly complained of living amidst sewage waste in their vicinity with stench emanating from it.
The civic body has however directly blamed owners of these labour accommodations, for negligence and not taking the necessary precaution of emptying cess-pit tanks in time, thus resulting in an overflow.
“The sewage problem remains unsolved because the companies responsible to collect the waste from the respective accommodations have not done so. This causes the accumulation and overflow from the tanks to the roads,” said Salem Mesmar, the Assistant Director General for Health, Safety and Environment Control Sector.
These accommodations are not properly connected to the drainage system and the companies responsible for the discharge of sewage waste from labour accommodations to the Al Awir Sewage Treatment Plant have failed to comply with the requirements.
Since these tankers make between Dh1500 to Dh2000 per trip, the tanker drivers find it convenient to discharge the waste in open areas, so that they can rush to make more trips. A source claimed that they sometimes have to wait in the queue for 6 to 7 hours.
This menace has also caused a severe health hazard forcing the civic body to act tough…SOURCE
Sphere: Related ContentAll the actions and steps being taken by the Dubai Municipality to end the menace of sewage accumulation in labour accommodations, the increase in penalties and intensifying inspections seem to turn sour if one visits the Al Quoz area and witnesses the deplorable conditions of people living amidst the sewage.
The conditions are disgusting at one of the accommodation that houses 600 workers from 3 different contracting companies.
Raw sewage can be seen flowing out of the tanks, that has also flooded the compound for the last few days with the overflowing waste also finding its way to the rooms, where the labourers stay. The atmosphere out here has a foul smell. When questioned, one of the labourers said, “The conditions have gone from bad to worse following the recent spell of rains. The whole place has turned into a mucky swamp. We don’t have to explain the scenario, as it is evidently visible. Even animals have a better place to stay,” said one of them.
The condition of the road leading to the accommodation has been converted into pockets of filthy water.
“A representative of our company complained to the Dubai Municipality on December 24, but no action has been taken. Two of our men have been taken to the hospital due to the health hazard. How can anyone call this a human dwelling,” remarked another worker.
As the situation of raw sewage gets out of hand, area residents have erected barricades to avoid it from spreading further. “We are trying everything possible, but it does not help. Instead, we cook, eat and sleep in this unhygienic mess,” they said.
Just over a km ahead close to the Grand City Mall in Al Quoz, one comes across another accommodation which is witnessing a similar situation since last November.
The accommodation, divided into 3 buildings is home to over 8000 workers. According to workers living there, the raw sewage is a result of overflowing tanks.
“The tankers that are supposed to siphon the sewage from the cess-pits and later discharge them to the treatment plants do not arrive in time, resulting in a continuous overflow. No one seems to look into our welfare or the conditions we are living in,” said one of them. When contacted, the owner of the accommodation said, “It is not our negligence. There are almost 90 tankers collecting sewage from different accommodations. We spend almost Dh200, 000 for this exercise, yet they don’t arrive on time, due to the long delay while queuing at the Al Awir Plant.”…SOURCE
You cannot have tourism with polluted beaches. Dubai needs to to all means necessary to eliminate this immediately.
Sphere: Related ContentAlmost three months after the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) was forced to suspend all
operations due to the storm water drains sewage problem, the club is now facing another hazard — industrial waste — according to an official.
A senior official of the club said though the sewage flow had stopped, they were now dealing with what they believe was industrial waste coming into the beach area from the same storm water drains.
The official said that they had contacted the civic body which talked about the ongoing investigations, but things are yet to materialise.
DOSC authorities said though they wanted to clean up the waters, it was of no use as the flow of the waste was continuous.
“We can hire someone and clean up the area and the water. This will take in a lot of resources and finances. But then the flow is continuous. So unless, this new problem is not taken care of completely, our resources will go waste,” the official said.
“We believe these are industrial wastes coming in from the Al Quoz Industrial area through the storm water drains. This has been going on for almost a month on a very regular basis.
“Under such a situation, the beach cannot be opened. The Dubai Municipality has intimated about the same and they have assured us of proper investigations,” he said.
Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hasan, the Head of Marine Environment and Sanctuaries Unit at the DM said, “We are not sure of the fact that it is industrial waste. It could be rain water as well, The DM is presently looking into the matter and there will a proper investigation into this,” he said…SOURCE
Idiots and rats rejoice.
Sphere: Related ContentMany consider a cat crossing the road as an unlucky sign but residents of Sharjah find the sight of a dead one equally repulsive.
The number of stray cats in the emirate has exploded causing a great number of road kills, which commuters say, have become unavoidable.
“I have seen a lot of cats in the busy streets of Rolla, and sometimes in their attempt to escape the hustle bustle of the traffic, they get run over,” said Remo Fernandez, a resident of Sharjah.
“Lately I have noticed a lot of dead cats on the road. It’s pitiful to see them completely squashed by vehicles and completely decapitated,” said Kulsoom Abbas Ali, another resident of Sharjah.
Sharjah Municipality has launched a campaign whereby they have urged the public to inform them about stray cats. The municipality captures the strays and treats them in their veterinary department.
A source at the municipality said their workers pick up around 20 to 30 stray animals daily and their department clears up road kills promptly.
Sajen Skandkumar, who lives in Rolla, said immediate action is required to reduce the population of strays in the emirate. “The cats are a cause of diseases and their presence in residential areas is very unhygienic.”
The municipality should be contacted on its emergency number if one notices foul smells due to the rotting of an animal’s body.
The civic body has asked the public to cooperate in their endeavour to cope with the situation. Those with pets must get them registered with the municipality and should be vaccinated. Along with the cooperation of Muezza’s Feline Friends Sharjah, a group solely run by volunteers, more than 300 cats have been rescued, neutered and released, giving them a better hope of survival.
Meanwhile, the Dubai Municipality (DM) is all set to hire an international expert in a bid to control the growing number of stray cats in the emirate, officials said on Thursday…SOURCE
I am torn by this. There are legitimate safety issues. However, there are few viable, affordable alternatives for housing. Dubai has concentrated housing development almost solely on the luxury market. Service and construction workers were fine as long as the were confined to places like Sonapur and Al Quoz. Affordable housing issues have to be part of the plan along with enforcement.
| http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/08/12/18/10268164.html |
12/18/2008 10:27 AM | By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
Dubai: About 4,000 villas were issued notices and nearly a dozen had their water supply and electricity disconnected for violating the “one family, one villa” rule, the Municipality announced on Wednesday.
Denying rumours making the rounds in this regard, Omar Mohammad Abdul Rahman, Head of Building Inspection Section in the Buildings Department said that the campaign is very much on and more areas are being covered.
“We are only concerned about the safety and security of the residents as well as the environment,” he said.
Abdul Rahman said the rule will not be extended to apartments but added that the there exists a municipality regulation on the number of people who can stay in a residential unit.
“If anybody complains about huge number of families staying in a small area in a single flat creating social problem for neighbours, the Municipality will conduct inspections and take necessary actions,” he said.
Campaign
“We are now concentrating on the Al Barsha area. We started the campaign against bachelors staying in family residential areas in 2005. As part of that campaign we had issued warnings that many families staying in one residential unit after making alterations inside the building illegally would not be allowed.
“It is against the rules and regulations regarding building safety as well as social and urban planning norms,” said Abdul Rahman.
The ongoing economic situation will have no effect on the “One family One villa” rule, Abdul Rahman said….
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Here is how the Desert Palm Resort describes itself:
Chic luxury emerges from a dramatic desert landscape.
Contrast. The vast sandscapes of the Arabian landscape versus the lush surrounds of green in an extensive polo property. The conventional opulence of Dubai luxury hotels versus signature Per Aquum chic subtly merged with the elegant forms of local architecture and design.
Set amidst green fields and palm trees, Desert Palm offers sensually designed accommodation – Arabia touched with the avant-garde…SOURCE
Well this is true, if avant-garde means the close proximity to Dubai’s smelliest spot. The Al Aweer sewage plant sits in close proximity. The National recently described the sewage plant this way:
Sewage tanker drivers admitted yesterday that some of them were dumping waste water illegally around Dubai to avoid queues of up to 18 hours at the city’s only treatment plant.
The problem of illegal dumping was highlighted at the weekend when the beach next to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club was closed because of sewage contamination. Dubai Municipality warned bathers not to use the beach for health reasons and promised swift action against the offending sewage operators.
However, tanker drivers told The National the problem would continue until the capacity of Al Aweer treatment plant was raised.
“It’s a nightmare for us doing this job. No one can blame a driver for getting frustrated and dumping the waste illegally,” said Omar Khan, who had spent 10 hours at the plant yesterday queuing to discharge his load.
The treatment plant sees nearly 10,000 sewage tankers lining up to empty their waste each day. With just over 40 sewage discharge pumps, drivers say they have to wait between 10 to 18 hours to dispose of one load.
“The line is getting longer with each passing day,” said Ayaz Mohammed, another driver. “The stations operate 24 hours a day but it is still not sufficient to meet the demand of the city.”
The drivers collect sewage water from labour camps in Sonapur, Al Quoz, Jebel Ali, Al Rashidiya and also from other locations in the city.
Desperate to empty their tankers, the drivers sometimes try to overtake each other as they
jockey for position in line. This can lead to street fights and even serious accidents.
“These big truck try to overtake each other and in the process hit each other and have often almost run over people,” said another driver. Traffic fines of Dh500 (US$136) to Dh1,000 have not stopped them recklessly racing up to the plant. “It’s a dangerous place to be at night as people just violate rules to get to the stations,” he said.
Drivers said that those queuing up at night often got so tired of waiting they simply disposed of the waste at the side of the road and left.
“In the night, many just open the taps and let the waste flow on the road or the parking areas. This is why there is a strong stench in this area all the time,” a driver said…SOURCE
Traveling through the area tonight, the stench was so bad (in a sealed, air-conditioned car with environmental filtering) that I nearly vomited. Not ewww it smells, but the smell that signals totally losing your lunch.
God bless the owners of the resort. I feel for them. I have only one thing to offer our readers, caveat emptor.
Creating a Nation-wide credit system:
Banks are making a killing while many of the country’s young, ambitious national and expatriate workers are getting caught in a thorny credit trap. And most are either in thrown in jail or default and runaway from the country.
Thanks to poor governance, banks are virtually giving away credit cards, personal loans, mortgages… and every other form of “financial services”, to anyone who walks through the doors of banks, and -mind you- without any proper historical credit analysis or rating to the applicant. It reached a point where banks hire housewives and door-to-door credit card sales men. This plain wrong.
Making it Illegal to Disconnect Power or Water off ANY Residential Facility:
This is the case in many countries in the world. But sadly, not here. Living without water or electricity in a county like the UAE is, without a question, fatal. And I am not being over dramatic. Tempreture here often crosses the 50C mark during the summer. This the temperature internationally recognized as fatal to human beings. There are better ways for water and electricity agencies to coerce their customers to pay up. For example, Freezing bank accounts or imposing travel bans.
But not leaving women and children in the scorching heat of the summer without water or air conditioning. Its not only inhumane, its disgraceful.
Government Employees Working for Private Sector:
This is quite common in several GCC states. Especially in KSA and Saudi. Government employees are not permitted to run any private business. No matter what happens, you will always ALWAYS have conflict of interest. Today’s Gulf News headline story is a pure example.
Readers: I would really like your thoughts on this one.
Imposing an Emirate-wide Quiet Hours:
Living almost anywhere in Dubai today is becoming a real annoyance. Dubai Municipality is giving away 24hrs construction permissions to contractors, right, left and centre, with out any regulation to the level of noise emitted by these construction company nor consideration to the noise pollution and what it is doing to thousands of families across the emirate.
Don’t believe me, pass by next to my house anytime at night and see for yourself.
Making it illegal not to fully stop at Stop sign or at pedestrian zebra lines:
I was very impressed how in the US, they take these 2 regulations extremely seriously. If you do not stop at a STOP sign, or at a pedestrian crossing, you simply go to jail.
When you think about it, it does, significantly help reduce accidents. Stopping so frequently, especially when in residential areas, will result with fewer, almost no accidents.
We seriously need that here in Dubai. Just read the paper everyday.
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