Demolition drive on

More than a hundred dilapidated buildings and houses have been earmarked for demolition according to the Chairman of the Manama Municipal Council who was speaking to the Bahrain Tribune. The council inspection team confirmed that the majority of these dangerous buildings in the Capital is currently occupied and some of the vacant buildings were being used for seamy activities.The Chairman, Murtada Bader, said the council had taken permission from the Ministry of Justice to demolish a house near Fakrawi Laundry on Al Mahza road. “Despite many warnings to the houseowner, he did not ask the tenants to vacate the building. Therefore, the council has issued a notice to the Indian and Bangladeshi residents of this house to leave. The municipality can then demolish the house.”The cost of demolishing the house will be borne by the landlord in this case. Similarly, the council has given warning to another hundred building owners that if they do not demolish the buildings, they will be bulldozed.Bader said that the council had a budget of BD6,000 to demolish such buildings but said that it was inadequate.“There are many other dangerous buildings in the Capital whose owners will also be issued similar warnings. The council will ask the government to increase its budget for the purpose next year,” he said.