Dubai
I am someone who greatly admires the various facilities provided by Dubai authorities for its residents. But, it bothers me that some residents don’t seem to have the same consideration.
I am fascinated by the parks and lakes around the emirate, especially some within the residential areas. The manner in which, the developers have turned some of the land into lovely districts is amazing, and we do not see such changes anywhere else in the world. While the authorities do their job, it is incumbent on the part of everyone to assist in the maintenance of their environment. Unfortunately, this is not being done and needs to be corrected.
I stay with my daughter in the Springs area. There is a large, artificial lake here and it provides a lush green area where people walk around, bike or even jog, and above all, it is a lovely place for senior citizens to rest. But, it is sad to see some people not only misuse the area, but also dirty the grass and other infrastructure provided.
It is a common sight - nannies take babies in prams and other young children there to play. I often notice how many of them leave the children to play on the grass, while the attendants have a free diversion and talk to each other. A large number of attendants also bring along their pet dogs.
The Municipality spends a lot of resources in providing separate bins where people can dispose their pet’s waste, and also provides plastic bags to collect the waste. Many of the attendants seldom do this and I see pets defecating, with the waste remaining on the grass. The attendants are so busy that they are not aware of the pets and because of this, the pathways also get dirtied. Additionally, cigarette butts are also seen thrown in the grass, which could be dangerous for the children and pets.
It is obvious that the authorities have spent a lot of money to provide all these facilities to residents, and to maintain these parks and lakes. The people of Dubai, residents and tourists, are all benefiting from these wonderful facilities. So why don’t we do our bit to help preserve them?
The solution is to make people more aware of what they should do. I would urge the municipal authorities to conduct a surprise check and caution the offenders.
— The reader is based in Dubai.
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FACTBOX:
According to a Gulf News report published on March 24, 2016, littering or dumping waste in an area will result in the Municipality inspectors imposing a fine of Dh500.
Additionally, failure to clean up and dispose waste in a plastic bag when taking one’s dog out can result in a fine of Dh200 along with a written undertaking that the offence will not be repeated, as stated on Dubai Municipality’s official website.
If a dog was allowed to go astray or was otherwise neglected, the dog’s owner would be contacted and he or she would be allowed to collect the dog after paying a fine of Dh500. If the owner failed to collect the dog and pay the fine within three working days, the Municipality’s veterinary section will confiscate the dog.
Failure to put an appropriate leash on the dog when exercising or accompanying it in a public place also results in a fine of Dh200.
The Dubai Municipality alone is said to spend over Dh50 million annually on the maintenance of public parks. The Municipality has placed ashtrays and waste bins every 50 to 100 metres in busy central business district areas of Dubai.
