More than 300 residents of has been fined by the Municipality for hanging clothes for drying, storing unused materials and installing dish antennae in balconies of apartments.
A Dh500 fine is imposed on violators,in case of non payment the amount is doubled. Nearly 9,400 fines were issued for violations related to “distorting the appearance of the city.”
The director of city monitoring department of Sharjah Municipality, Mr.Faisal Al Mulla,said. “The civic body in an intensified campaign issued such fines within the framework of its keenness to maintain the civilised appearance and beauty of the city’.
He said. “The municipality had issued orders to prevent hanging of laundry and installation of TV dish antennae in balconies and windows.”
He said the municipality will continue the inspection in order to check whether the residents are abiding by the regulation.
It has been noted that in the past three Years about 100 children have died after falling from balconies as the unused furniture is dumped in the balconies and the children step on them and fall.
Mohammed Ibrahim Al Hosani, head of the inspection section at the city monitoring department of the municipality said that. “The authority has been distributing booklets to make the residents aware of the rule which prohibits hanging clothes, installing TV dishes and dumping other discarded materials in the balconies.”
The residents can make use of the balconies for drying clothes but it should not be visible outside and the balconies must be kept clean and tidy.
Al Hosani said, “The action is based on administrative order No.17, issued on May 24, 1997, which prohibits hanging of laundry in the balconies and windows of all buildings to preserve public health and the beauty of the city”.
The building managements were also ordered to circulate the ban on circulars at the entrance of buildings. And the
municipality will also distribute the circulars as well as the leaflets to all the residents in various languages.
The municipality hotline number 993 is also issued to the public to inform any violation. Al Hosani stressed that the team will immediately transfer the complaint to the department concerned for appropriate action.