UAE | Housing & Property

Big jump in number of overcrowded buildings in Naif

Dubai Municipality official seeks tougher measures against illegal reconnection of utilities in Naif area townhouses.

  • By Wafa Issa, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 22:50 November 8, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Four bachelors share this narrow living space in Dubai's Naif area; with two of them sleeping on the floor.
  • Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News
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Dubai: Overcrowded illegal houses in the Naif area have increased by 25 per cent this year, said a senior Dubai Municipality official.

Omar Abdul Al Rahman, Head of the building inspection department at Dubai Municipality, told Gulf News that overcrowded buildings with illegal extensions in Naif have increased by some 25 per cent bringing the number of violating houses to 203.

"We have intensified our campaigns to crackdown on violators because people's lives are at risk as living in these houses pose a serious fire and health hazard," said Abdul Al Rahman.

The municipality has taken several measures to fight this phenomenon which is not only limited to Naif area in Dubai.

It has enforced penalties such as fines that could reach up to Dh50,000, stop the trade licence of the violator, have their utilities suspended and issue an eviction notices.

"The problem is that we cannot forcefully evict people and our penalties sometimes are not deterrent enough so if violators continue not to cooperate there might be a need to review regulations," said Abdul Al Rahman.

"However, the most efficient measure is to suspend utilities but the problem is that many reconnect the services illegally, he added.

Abdullah Al Hajiri, senior manager for press communication and occupational health at Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA), said that the practice of illegal reconnection of services is limited to overcrowded houses as it is difficult to pinpoint who actually carried out the offence.

Suspension of utilities

Measures taken to curb the overcrowding in houses by Dubai Municipality:

- A notice informing about the violations

- Second warning

- A fine of up to Dh50,000

- Suspension of utilities

- Suspension of the trade licence of the violator

- The Municipality has only the authority to demolish a house if it not suitable for living

Dubai Municipality statistics for third quarter of 2008

- There are 120,000 buildings in Dubai

- There are 1,096 violating buildings across Dubai

- 80 per cent of the violations are illegal extensions

- The number has doubled compared to the same period last year

- 500 houses have had utilities cut for violating rules in the third quarter

- There are 203 illegal buildings in Naif

- It is a 25 per cent increase from last year

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