Abu Dhabi: Residents and landlords in the capital are once again being urged to remove randomly installed satellite dishes from balconies and rooftops.
This is part of a campaign launched by the Municipality of Abu Dhabi to ensure that these devices do not pose a threat to residents’ safety, and also do not “distort the civilised appearance” of building facades.
Abu Dhabi municipality through awareness campaign has informed residents to remove satellite dishes from balconies and windows, and avoid placing them on building tops and walls of domestic gardens. The notice also prohibits hanging connection cables on building facades in a manner that is visible to the public.
According to municipality regulations, a maximum of four satellite dishes can be installed on a building or villa rooftop. Exceeding this number will result in a warning from the municipality. Devices that are not removed after the grace period stipulated in the warning will lead to fines of at least Dh1,000.
In a statement released last year, municipal officials said the disorderly installation of satellite dishes comprises the structural integrity of a building.
“If the antennas are installed directly on the floor of the roof, they can corrode waterproofing material. This can then cause rainwater and other liquids to leak into apartments on the top floor,” Ahmad Al Mazroui, director of external centres at the municipality, said.
Al Mazroui also said that in many cases, electric cables are dangerously extended along walls on rooftops. Satellite dishes all over the surface of rooftops also makes things difficult for emergency service providers.
Executives from electronic companies that install satellite dishes said that municipal guidelines are designed to ensure safety.
“We do not install these devices on balconies and windows because it is difficult to secure them. If they fall, even a small dish that weighs 5-10kg could severely injure a passer-by,” Shiby Varghese, technical operation officer at Hayat Electronics, told Gulf News. The bigger antennas placed on building rooftops weigh nearly 100kg and need to be set up very carefully.
Varghese also stressed the need to maintain satellite dishes regularly.
“These antennas tend to rust if they are not regularly serviced, so we maintain the ones we install on a monthly or quarterly basis. However, when people install satellite dishes on their own, they do not keep a check on whether they are rusting or if the cables need to be secured or insulated. This can pose a variety of electrical hazards.”
