Dubai: Dubai Municipality responded to and clarified 35 rumours in the past six months, the civic body said on Monday.
The municipality had last year launched the initiative called ‘Authentic News’ to verify rumours doing the rounds in the emirate, especially related to the safety of food and consumer products.
Under the new service, the public can clarify rumours through the municipality’s call centre 800900.
Recently, the civic body also opened a WhatsApp number for residents to inquire about the rumours they happen to hear. Residents can send any type of information to the municipality on +971 50 1077799.
Khalid Ali Bin Zayed, assistant director general for Communication and Society at Dubai Municipality, said the number of rumours spreading in society spiked due to the widespread use of social media. He said the new service helped verify the truth behind various rumours that could adversely affect the trading of food and health products.
Some of the rumours clarified and rebutted by the municipality include those about the safety of cheese slices, LED shoes, green tea bags, apple seeds, drinks like Tang, Vimto, Qassim Coffee, Kinder chocolates, etc.
He said by verifying the truth behind the rumours and ensuring the safety and quality of the products, the municipality was also supporting transparent trading of these products in the emirate.
