Reduce Musaffah's growth pangs

Musaffah has become a densely populated part of Abu Dhabi. The increase in the number of shopping malls in the area is testament to its standing as a busy residential and commercial locale.

Still, Musaffah is being neglected in terms of mosques, adequate transportation facilities, parking spaces and parks.

There are only two mosques in the Musaffah ME-12 area now, which always seem to be overcrowded. A few mosques in the same district were demolished and are in the process of being rebuilt - but there seems to be no sign of completion.

Additionally, residents were promised an 'Ojra' fare structure for bus services to Musaffah, but there has been no development in this regard, either.

People who do not own cars and reside in places such as the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD), Mohammad Bin Zayed City and Khalifa City face a lot of difficulty in commuting. This problem is made worse because of the fact that taxis often do not ply in these areas.

Furthermore, a lot of new buildings have been completed in Musaffah and many are still under construction - but no arrangements have been made for additional parking space.

We have started to experience parking problems, even though the new buildings are not fully occupied.

Additionally, even as Musaffah continues to expand, not a single park for children has been introduced in any of its areas. This forces children to play on the roads amidst traffic and construction sites and face great danger.

Due to the increase in construction, there seems to be unrestricted movement of construction vehicles, too. They seem to adhere to no speed limit!

As schools have reopened, there are children who walk to and from schools in the neighbourhood and who often have to dodge these vehicles.

The increase in construction has led to a rise in air and noise pollution, with our surroundings becoming cluttered due to the messy habits of workers on site.

Once neat and clean, our neighbourhood has now become shabby, as at least 10 new buildings have come up in the area.

With an equal increase in the amount of garbage disposed by residents, rats are commonly found running around, with most of them dying because of reckless vehicles.

The carcasses of the rats remain on the street until they dry up and wear away, posing health risks for children playing in the area.

I request the authorities to urgently take note of these issues. The cleanliness and orderliness of Musaffah should be made an urgent priority.

The reader is an Abu Dhabi-based architectural consultant.

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