UAE | Housing & Property

Family abandons fasting after power supply is cut

A family living in a villa in Abu Hail has seen its observance of Ramadan badly disrupted after the electricity supply to the building was disconnected over their alleged failure to vacate the premises, Gulf News has learnt.

  • By Alice Johnson, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:07 September 24, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Electricity to the villa was terminated as part of a larger Dubai Municipality effort to crack down on the illegal partitioning of the villas.
  • Image Credit: Atiq-Ur-Rehman/Gulf News

Dubai: A family living in a villa in Abu Hail has seen its observance of Ramadan badly disrupted after the electricity supply to the building was disconnected over their alleged failure to vacate the premises, Gulf News has learnt.

Resident S.F.A., who did not wish to be named, said: "My whole family was keeping the fast but, with the electricity disconnected, I am now the only one fasting; it's unbearably hot for my family to be fasting.

"We are searching for an alternative accommodation, but it's very difficult during Ramadan. Many places tell you to come in person in the morning when you are at work, or after 7pm. This is difficult when you have a family," he said.

Electricity to the building was terminated as part of a larger Dubai Municipality effort to crack down on the illegal partitioning of villas (that accommodate more people than building regulations allow).

Deadline

Omar Abdul Rahman, Head of the Building Inspection Section, recently called on residents and owners to vacate illegal premises and demolish partitions that contravene building regulations by October 20, 2008.

The campaign has been ongoing since 2006; it had initially targeted buildings housing bachelors in excess of permitted numbers.

The second phase has targeted families living in accommodation that has been illegally partitioned in Rashidiya, Mankhool and Bur Dubai to date.

S.F.A. said that the 10 families sharing the villa all have young children and had received no prior warning from the landlords or real estate agents that the facilities were due to be cut.

"We are the victims here," said S.F.A. "We don't know what is going on between Dubai Municipality, the landlord and the real estate agent. We need more time to find a new place to live," he said. S.F.A. and his family have been staying in a hotel for the past five days but are forced to return to the villa each morning to prepare the children for school.

Exceeding the budget

Many families interviewed by Gulf News are seeking accommodation in Ajman, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, but are finding it difficult to locate affordable housing.

Enforcement: Reporting anomalies

The building restrictions being enforced fall under Local Order No. 3, 1999, regarding the regulation of building activity in Dubai. Dubai Municipality has called on the public to report illegal accommodation on 800900 or by submitting a report through the municipality website.

What problems have you faced when looking for accommodation? How long did it take you? How can the issue of expensive accomodation be addressed? Fill in the form bellow to send your comments.


Your comments


I don't see any harm if two families are sharing the same villa, one takes the ground floor and the other takes the upper floor. A simple question; what difference does it make to the authorities if one family stays in a villa or two stay in a villa? We all have to make our ends meet to live a comfortable life.
Ashraf
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 24, 2008, 09:47

A very significant number of citizens and expatriates are living in partitioned villas. Those people are forced to vacate from properties that were allowed to exist, but now are called illegal by the same municipalities that let them to exist in the first place and keep in mind that no one is providing alternatives for those people. Now why I see the upcoming of tent cities soon to a neighborhood near you??
Wissam
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: September 24, 2008, 08:29

The accomodation problems can be sorted out if Dubai Dvelopment board [now Wasl] takes over all private buildings and regulate the rentals. This wil get rid of all middlemen exploiting the situation. With no government control over real estate values, we need such semi government organisations to come forward for the community. They should start with taking back all projects handed over to owners.
Sudhir G
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 24, 2008, 08:06

Looking for an accomodation here is a nightmare indeed.We lived in a sharing flat for 3 yrs,the conditions were horrible but there was no other option.Just 6 months back we moved to 1 bedroom apartment,only after we got an additional amount of money which could be used for rent.But certainly we are compromising with other expenses too.It is high time when people should be able to get affordable studio flats at least !!
kavita
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 24, 2008, 08:05

Why are people who live as a family in a single room being targetted. If the Municipality does a check in Rigga street they will find so many cases where in a studio flat you will find atleast 10-15 people and in a 1 / 2 BHK you will find atleast 3 families and another 5/8 bachelors staying together. What about these who are also the reason for the increase in rent.
Vinita
Dubai,UAE
Posted: September 24, 2008, 08:01

I read you paper all the time online and find it facinating.It seems Dubai is developing faster and the minds of its people back tracking and a good exampple is the way people are being treated.Its in human to cut off electricity from poor people in a hot place like dubai.I hope the people in authority develop their thinking faster par to the developments they are putting in place.i really feel sorry for the poor people whose lifes are affected by this stupid laws. god help them.
Deezac
hartford,u.s.a
Posted: September 24, 2008, 07:09

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