Sharjah: In efforts to maintain the beauty and appearance of the city, the Sharjah Municipality has launched another intensive campaign to prevent residents from displaying laundry and satellite dishes on their windows and balconies in residential buildings in Sharjah.
The campaign also includes the distribution of pamphlets and brochures in four different languages — Arabic, English, Farsi and Hindi — across Sharjah to inform the public of the rules and regulations.
The General Manager of Sharjah Municipality Riad Abdullah Elian said that the announcement is part of the municipality’s aim to eliminate any practices which may distort the emirate’s landscape.
He also added that the municipality, in collaboration with other government departments and institutions. has extended efforts in the past couple of years to preserve the emirate’s beauty by spreading awareness and informing residents of the laws.
Elian also explained that residents who use their balconies to hang their laundry or use them as storage space will be issued a fine of Dh250 which should be paid within a week from the date it is issued to avoid further violations.
Gulf News talked to Sharjah resident Noora Yousuf about the warning flyers posted in her building. “Even though people in my building use their balconies for either laundry or storage, it does not affect the overall image of the building since it’s not visible,” she said, adding that the building’s architecture does not expose the balcony to the main roads.
Yousuf ,who lives in a 12-storey building in the Al Khan area, said she first noticed the warning signs issued by the Sharjah City Municipality in her building around a week ago. “I am not sure if residents will comply with the rules since many people consider their balconies their own private space,” she said.
Another resident, Ahmad Mousa, also agreed saying that while his building does not have any balconies, most buildings on the opposite side of the street do.
“They are mostly used by the residents for drying laundry but because the railings are very high, it’s hard to see anything,” he said, adding that as long as it’s not visible, he is not bothered. “I do agree, however, that people with low balcony rails shouldn’t display their laundry because it makes the buildings look very messy,” added Mousa.
Carrying out the first campaign two years ago, the municipality will continue to inspect buildings in Sharjah as part of this year’s campaign in order to stop residents who are breaking the rules.
The municipality also pointed out that as a result of its continuous efforts, the emirate of Sharjah won the Best Arab City Award in city beautification from the Arab Towns Organisation this year.
