Civic body pulls down barns in residential area

Ras Al Khaimah: Municipal inspectors on Thursday started demolishing barns in a residential area after the civic body received several complaints from neighbours of the barn owners.

Mubarak Ali Al Shamsi, Director General of the RAK Municipality, said the demolition started in Al Maamoura area. The inspectors will next focus on Julfar and Al Jolan.

He added that a big number of people in these areas keep their livestock in barns inside the boundaries of their houses and others keep their animals in barns beside their houses. He added that all types of barns will be demolished in residential areas.

Al Shamsi stressed that the barns pose serious threats to public health in the emirate. The municipality had earlier sent official letters to the owners of these barns to pull them down, but a large number of the owners did not respond to the requests.

Al Shamsi said the municipality received several complaints from neighbours of barn owners, complaining of bad smell and the animals.

He added that the owners of the barns let their animals stray on the streets during the day to save the cost of food and other expenses.

The stray animals have been the key reason for a large number of road accidents, he said.

The Traffic and Licensing Department had strongly recommended demolition of barns to reduce accidents.