Plucking a flower will cost you Dh500

Dubai: Damaging and picking flowers in public places without permission is a violation of the law that can set you back by hundreds of dirhams, warned a senior official of the Dubai Municipality.

Gulf News recently came across people who, while admiring saplings in a park's flower bed, were at the same time wondering if they can uproot a couple for replanting in their own garden.

"The minimum fine is Dh500 and then it adds on and is calculated on the damage done to the flower beds in a square area," said Ahmad Abdul Karim, Director of Public Parks and Horticulture Department, Dubai Municipality.

"Our inspection team comprises of 35 members and are grouped in two main units - Deira and Bur Dubai. "These units [are assigned to cover] various small zones and 24-hour monitoring is carried out," he added.

Abdul Karim said that the fine is applies to both residents and visitors. "If someone is interested in getting some of those blooms that are planted around the city, they need to get permission from the horticulture department. Somebody responsible at the department will help them out," said Karim.

Last year about 20 million flower saplings were planted on a total of 70 hectares of land across the city.

Landscaping and beautification projects are done after a comprehensive survey of all main streets.

In a meeting in March of the Higher Committee for Horticulture and Plantation chaired by Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, officials reviewed plans to increase the city's greenery.

The meeting also discussed the designation of plant spaces in internal and external streets as part of the plan to increase the city's green areas.

The committee considered the idea of planting one million trees in various parts of the city.

The Drainage and Irrigation Department was also instructed to study the idea and present it's findings before the Committee. "The flower beds [get] replanted every three-an-half months provided the blooms [have] dried up 70 per cent. This way there is no unnecessary waste," said Karim.

How much: Penalty

A few public place violations and their corresponding fines: 

- Picking flowers starts at Dh500 

- Spitting in public places Dh500 

- Spitting paan (betel leaf) in public places Dh500 

- Throwing rubbish on the streets Dh500 

- Urinating in public Dh500 n Dumping construction and demolition waste on streets Dh5,000 

- Leakage from sewage tankers on streets and illegal disposal of sewage Dh10,000 

- Dumping of used oil in sewage pipes Dh3,000 

- Abandoning furniture and household items on streets and storing them on roof floors - Dh200

Did you know about these rules and fines? Have you ever picked flowers from a public place? Do you agree
with these rules?