Dubai
As a resident of the International City in Dubai for the past seven years, I am grateful to Dubai Municipality for the amenities they have provided, like gardens, landscaping and paved streets with lights. They are manned well by the responsible authorities.
But, I am saddened to see that a few of these amenities are being misused by some of the residents.
The greenery and trees in the gardens are soothing to the eyes and families are allowed to relax there. People utilise the pavements for jogging and walking. But, people can be seen playing cricket in the gardens, causing damage to the grass and the irrigation pipes, resulting in the grass drying as the water nozzles are damaged.
The parking issue has also gotten worse and one can see people spending valuable time looking for a parking spot. If people find space, they are considered lucky as compared to those whose vehicles are parked in any available space, risking fines.
Although, commercial vehicles are not allowed to park here, only a quarter of the total vehicles parked in this area are non-commercial. A large number of trucks and trailers are parked near the new Al Warsan Village. These trucks are driven on the small streets at a high speed, risking the pedestrians’ lives, particularly children and old people.
A few days ago, a friend of mine escaped an accident, when a truck closely missed his vehicle after taking a turn at high speed. Some of the truck drivers are reckless and unmindful of their surroundings. Many trucks do not even have number plates, in order to evade fines.
At night, any dangerous activity could easily be practiced, due to the multitude of trucks parked in the area, which are obstructing outside views. A few of these are old and seem discarded.
In fact, a few days ago, a fire erupted from an open truck parked near the signal opposite the Greece cluster. Five minutes later, the fire had spread to two or three other vehicles. Finally the Civil Defence brought it under control. What if the fire had started in one the trucks parked closer to the buildings? It is risky to allow them to continue parking here.
Another eye sore is the massage parlour cards strewn everywhere, affecting the image of the area. You can find these cards on the doorsteps of people’s homes or in the corridors of the buildings. People are seen openly placing these cards on each vehicle parked in the buildings’ lots.
A few months ago, there was overflow from the nearby lake causing flooding on the streets and compounds of the buildings, like the Greece cluster. This flooding resulted in accumulation of mud on the streets, which the municipal authorities removed and stacked on the side. But, it is now spread on the road due to the vehicles going in and out of the area.
I hope the concerned authorities look into these issues and the community developer considers taking necessary remedial steps, at the earliest.
— The reader is based in Dubai.
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The reader’s concerns were raised with the management of Nakheel. They immediately investigated the issues raised by the reader and responded.
They stated: “Nakheel continues to improve and enhance its communities by investing in new facilities and services. We strive to maintain our communities to the best of our ability, with safety and security always being the priority.
“Any illegal or inappropriate behaviour is immediately reported to the concerned authorities for appropriate action, and we continually review the performance of our service providers to ensure the best possible service for our investors and residents.”
