Abu Dhabi: Satellite dishes randomly installed on building rooftops and balconies are greatly hampering emergency services and distorting the civilised appearance of the capital, the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has said.
Accordingly, the municipality announced in a statement released on Wednesday that it is continuing its campaign to remove the electronic dishes which also pose a risk to passers-by if they are dislodged and fall.
“The disorderly installation of satellite dishes negatively affects building structures, and if the antennas are installed directly on the floor of the roof, they can corrode waterproofing material on rooftops. This can then cause rainwater and other liquids to leak into apartments at the top,” said Ahmad Al Mazroui, director of external centres at the municipality.
“Extending electric cables in a haphazard manner across walls can also make the area unsafe for residents. Moreover, emergency service providers cannot make use of rooftops if satellite dishes are installed everywhere across the surface,” he added.
Accordingly, a maximum of four satellite dishes can be installed on the roof of a building, and any that exceed this number must be removed. Warnings will be issued to violators, and if the devices are not removed even after the designated grace period, a fine of at least Dh1,000 could apply.
Other violations include installing the devices in areas other than rooftops, such as balconies, on top of water tanks or above heating rooms and staircases, or even on top of utility and sewage lines.
Al Mazroui added that the municipality is conducting an awareness campaign to ensure that residents are aware of the regulations. The official urged residents and landlords to report any offences by calling the municipality toll-free on 8002220.
Executives from companies that install and maintain satellite dishes said there is a need to abide by the municipal regulations.
“Each dish antenna is about five kilograms in weight, and it is very risky if they do fall off balconies,” Nirmal Kumar, a business development manager at Vision Electronics, told Gulf News.
“Moreover, if individual residents install their own antennas on the rooftop, they do not take the antennas with them when they move out of the building. So, after a couple of years, there are simply too many devices and cables that are not maintained,” he added.
Vision Electronics maintains satellite dishes for about 300 buildings in the capital, and Kumar also stressed that it is important to clean and realign these each month.
