Dubai: I want to bring the attention of the concerned authorities to an issue in Dubai’s International City area. It has been more than a year since a cell tower was installed in between the Y23 and Y08 residential buildings. This tower is powered by a diesel generator, but it was meant to be temporary until a power cable was pulled from the nearest source.
More than a year has gone by and nothing has changed. So, I want to stress this issue again and ask the developers to take necessary actions for the safety of the residents.
There are several disadvantages of using a diesel generator instead of power cables. People face disturbances due to the noise created by the generator. A few days ago, I measured the noise level and it was 86 decibels, which is making it difficult for us to sleep! Additionally, long or repeated exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss, as stated in a study published by US National Library of Medicine.
Apart from the noise, people are breathing in polluted air due to the gases created from diesel burning. The weather is good and many residents open their windows during the day. There is severe environmental impact due to this as well. This is also a dangerous source in a residential area. The huge tank of diesel can cause a fire or even explode. And the cost of maintaining this generator is probably quite high.
I hope the developers look into this issue and care about their social responsibility.
– The reader is based in Dubai.
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FACTBOX:
The reader’s concerns were raised with the management of Nakheel, the developers of International City. They immediately investigated the issue and responded.
They stated: “In early 2017, Nakheel, in coordination with Dewa and Etisalat, began the process of converting all GSM towers running on diesel generators at all Nakheel projects to a permanent power supply. Under the schedule of work, the GSM tower in question is assigned for permanent power conversion in Q1, 2018.”
