Dubai: Restless nights, the sound of jackhammers, and the annoying noise of machinery are forcing irate tenants to lodge complaints against noisy construction sites.
In the first three months of 2017, Dubai Municipality received 898 complaints, or about 10 per day — a big spike from less than six complaints daily recorded last year — from tenants upset over building sites that flout the city's rules.
The municipality’s set limit for construction work during the day is from 7am to 8pm, at 55 decibels.
That noise limit can be compared to everyday noises, as an average bird call is recorded at 44 decibels, while a large electrical transformer is at 50 decibels.
However, construction companies can request permits to carry out their work at night up till the early hours of the morning as long as they are below the decibel range.
To ensure compliance, Engr Layali Abdulrahman Al Mulla, Director of Buildings Department at Dubai Municipality, said that her team has carried out 379 field visits up until April 1, 2017.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Al Mulla said: “The necessary technical reports have been submitted.
"These are the handling of public complaints and complaints regarding violations of existing buildings during public holidays and outside working hours, as well as the requests of some government agencies such as the Dispute Settlement Center.”
Complaints
A team of municipal officials also carried out inspections for 220 buildings after receiving complaints of a number of violations, which included bachelors living in family-designated buildings, as well as various families living together in areas that were specifically designed for one.
Residents facing any problems related to noise construction are urged to contact Dubai Municipality’s toll-free number 800 900.
In 2015, Dubai Municipality received 2,124 registered complaints — a little less than six daily — of violations, cases in which companies were not abiding by safety regulations at the construction sites and reports of noise caused by construction work at night.
