Sharjah: Sharjah authorities have intensified their efforts to implement the decision of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to evict labourers and bachelors from Al Qadisiya.
Labourers and single men need to move out of family neighbourhoods under the decision. The decision covers not only Al Qadisiya district, but all areas meant for families in Sharjah, a senior official of Sharjah Municipality said.
Thabit Al Turaifi, Director General of Sharjah Municipality, said that municipality inspectors, along with Sharjah Police officers and the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority have gone an overdrive to ensure the decision is implemented to the fullest and at the earliest. He said violating tenants have to be notified of their eviction, with utilities being cut off wherever applicable. “As many as 1,514 inspections have been organised since the beginning of the campaign, during which more than 3,936 workers, bachelors were evacuated from 185 houses and 161 violating residential units were closed,” he said.
Al Turaifi explained that housing singles and workers in areas not designated for them poses a direct threat to the safety and comfort of families who live in that area. The problem gets aggravated when these categories of people live in groups and in unhygienic conditions, especially during COVID-19 times when social distancing and other protocols are not followed. The municipality has cut off services to 79 homes after detecting many violations by its residents, which include construction irregularities and modifications and random electrical connections. It has also also issued 169 notices to cut off services tosome houses.
Major General Saif Al Ziri Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, said that the task at hand is in line with the directive of His Highness to provide a safe environment for families living in Sharjah.
Major General Al Shamsi explained that the Sharjah Police General Command provides all support for the inspection teams in order to achieve their objectives,
After Al Qadisiya, inspectors will move to Al Nasseriya, Maysaloon and Al Fayha. Residential buildings will be included in the search. Al Qadisiya area in Sharjah is home to the Al Kuwaiti Hospital. The area is home to many villas where families from different nationalities live.
How the eviction drive came about
The decision to remove labourers and bachelors from the area came on September 27 during a live broadcast over Sharjah TV and Radio. An Emirati woman called into the programme, complaining about the presence of labourers and bachelors in the area. The complainant said she felt unsafe for her children and her family as single men were seen crowding near her house, adding that the area had too many workers with noisy and unruly behaviour.
Dr Sheikh Sultan immediately directed Sharjah Municipality and Sharjah Police to completely vacate the area of all workers and violators. Al Turaifi has pledged that the problem will be solved based on the Sharjah Ruler’s instructions. Sharjah Municipality has issued warnings to homes in the area, whose tenants are found to be in breach of tenancy regulations.
