Segregation of Asians slammed

By GEOFFREY BEW
HUMAN rights activists have slammed proposals to ban groups of bachelor Asian labourers from living in certain parts of Manama. The Migrant Workers Protection Society yesterday strongly condemned the move, which came from the Capital Municipality Council.
Councillors argued the law should be changed after several incidents in which Asian labourers are alleged to have assaulted children and caused discomfort to families.
The plan, which has not been finalised, aims to prevent groups of Asian labourers from living where there are large concentrations of families.
"Any measures restricting the freedom of where people can stay is a violation of basic human rights," said the MWPS in a statement.
"Countries that have previously had ghettos or apartheid policy have long since changed those inhumane policies and moved forward.
"Hard working labourers contribute to the development of the country.
"These Municipal councillors and all residents of Bahrain should appreciate the Asian labourers for all their hard work, which over the past several decades has contributed substantially to the development of the country.
"It is these Asian labourers who toil often for more than 12 hours a day in the hot sun, building roads and on construction sites, which in most cases have no safety measures as required by the Ministry of Labour Law."
The society argued councillors would be better spending their time enforcing laws of safety at work sites, ensuring proper accommodation with hygienic conditions for labourers and penalising those who flout the law.
The rules being drawn by the council plan to limit the number of people who can live in apartments or houses.
The proposals also state the property where they live must have at least 12 square metres of personal space and it will be up to landlords to ensure the rules are being met.

Disabled can open shops in residential areas

Handicapped people can open shops in residential areas, thanks to the Manama Municipal Council.Councillors yesterday unanimously agreed that physically-challenged people in the Capital Governorate should be allowed to set up shops in villages and residential areas.Council secretary Jassim Redha said: “We want to enable the handicapped to become self-dependent. For this reason, we will issue permits even in the areas which are not near the commercial zones.“The council also granted permission to the Ras Ruman Charity Fund to extend its premises to a two- to three-storey building,” he said. The council also decided to allow Al Haya Hospital in Gudaibiya to open the premises only after it allocates parking spaces for visitors. The meeting discussed changing of the zoning of Al Burhama road and areas between road no 5323 and road no 3513. Councillor, Shamlan Al Shamlan said the council had received a suggestion from the Planning Directorate at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture to rezone the Capital. The directorate also decided to change the building classification on the Abdulaziz Saad Shamlan road block 337 in Umm Al Hassam. He said the council discussed freezing the building permit issued to an investor in the Capital who has been allowed a 10-storey building during the interim period which had expired. During the interim period, there was the decree No. 51 issued by the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, stating that all areas with building areas classified as B5 could be given a equivalent of maximum 10-storeys in the investment areas. “Due to the decree the investor was given a normal permit of a 10-storey building. But the interim period is over. The classification of the areas is B6 (six-storey building). “His building will the only 10-storey structure in the area and so the council will consider freezing the permit,” Redha said.He said the building permits would be frozen for a month until the council consulted its legal advisor on the matter.

Disabled can open shops in residential areas

Handicapped people can open shops in residential areas, thanks to the Manama Municipal Council.
Councillors yesterday unanimously agreed that physically-challenged people in the Capital Governorate should be allowed to set up shops in villages and residential areas.
Council secretary Jassim Redha said: “We want to enable the handicapped to become self-dependent. For this reason, we will issue permits even in the areas which are not near the commercial zones.
“The council also granted permission to the Ras Ruman Charity Fund to extend its premises to a two- to three-storey building,” he said.
The council also decided to allow Al Haya Hospital in Gudaibiya to open the premises only after it allocates parking spaces for visitors. The meeting discussed changing of the zoning of Al Burhama road and areas between road no 5323 and road no 3513.
Councillor, Shamlan Al Shamlan said the council had received a suggestion from the Planning Directorate at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture to rezone the Capital.
The directorate also decided to change the building classification on the Abdulaziz Saad Shamlan road block 337 in Umm Al Hassam.
He said the council discussed freezing the building permit issued to an investor in the Capital who has been allowed a 10-storey building during the interim period which had expired. During the interim period, there was the decree No. 51 issued by the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, stating that all areas with building areas classified as B5 could be given a equivalent of maximum 10-storeys in the investment areas.
“Due to the decree the investor was given a normal permit of a 10-storey building. But the interim period is over. The classification of the areas is B6 (six-storey building).
“His building will the only 10-storey structure in the area and so the council will consider freezing the permit,” Redha said.
He said the building permits would be frozen for a month until the council consulted its legal advisor on the matter.

'No go' rule for bachelor labourers

By TARIQ KHONJI
GROUPS of bachelor Asian labourers could soon be banned from living in certain parts of Manama, if councillors get their way.
Rules determining where and how Asian labourers can live in Manama are being drawn up by the Capital Municipal Council's technical committee.
The plan, which hasn't been finalised yet, aims to prevent groups of Asian labourers from living in parts of the capital where there are large concentration of families.
It follows several incidents in which Asian labourers caused discomfort to families and, in some cases, assaulted children, said technical committee head Sadiq Rahma. "The rules we are drawing up are designed to protect the rights of both the families and the Asian bachelors," he said.
"These labourers often have habits which are difficult for families living nearby to tolerate. They come out of their homes half dressed, brew alcohol illegally in their homes, use prostitutes and make the neighbourhood dirty.
"There have also been cases in which young children have been sexually molested."
The rules being drawn up will also limit the number of people who can live in apartments or houses. The premises in which they dwell must have at least 12 square metres of personal space.
"These are poor people who often live in groups of 50 or more, crammed into one house or apartment," said Mr Rahma. "The rules also state that there must be at least one bathroom for every five people."
Under the regulations, it will be up to the landlords to ensure that the rules are being met.
They have already been agreed on by members of the technical committee, which will put its final stamp of approval on them at their meeting on Sunday. They will then be discussed at a regular municipal council meeting before the end of the month.

Garage owners face legal action

By TARIQ KHONJI
GARAGE owners in a congested area of Manama have four months to either shut up shop or change their line of business before they face legal action.
The Capital Municipal Council issued a warning to garages in block 318, Hoora, over two years following a petition by residents, who claimed they were causing traffic jams and polluting the neighbourhood.
They were given a six-month grace period two months ago, but Capital Municipal Councillor Abdulaziz Al Khaja said that none appeared to have taken any serious steps towards changing their line of business so far.
He added that the owners' names had been submitted to the Public Prosecution "a long time ago" and that legal procedures would go ahead if the council doesn't see signs of improvement.
"They need to either get out or change their businesses to something that is not service-oriented because these tend to take up a lot of road space and also cause pollution," he said.
A few of the garage owners have made half-hearted attempts to change, such as turning garages into shops selling and changing tyres, said Mr Al Khaja.
However, he added this was not sufficient to avoid legal action.
"We don't believe that this is enough," he said.
"It has been over two years since we first approached them and if we don't see signs of change, we will continue through the legal channels."
When the council issued the grace period it also promised to help pay for the reorganisation of the shops, but so far has received no takers.
"We don't want to hurt anyone's business, so we have offered to help them," said Mr Al Khaja.
"Instead of servicing cars, they can change their floor space into retail shops or anything else that is not polluting."

Inspiration SingaporeAll five municipal councils begin initiative to help ease housing problems by focusing on ‘highrise’ living

When one thinks of vernacular architecture the image of highrise buildings and modern new towns rarely comes to mind.But in Singapore these elements are becoming a new vernacular. There, modernist highrise housing and new towns have become a new vernacular due to the ubiquity of the highrise and new town way of life; a shared value system and culture within the new towns shaped by and reflected in the architecture and planning of the new towns; the importance of relationships between spaces in the new towns; the ability of the architecture and planning of new towns to adapt to changes with society; and the acceptance, legitimacy, and identification of the highrise way of life.Now, an initiative has begun to introduce this Singaporean concept to help ease the housing problems in the Kingdom.With increasing population and land scarcity, the Ministry of Housing and Works has been making allout efforts to meet the growing demand, particularly in case of the needy and the poor to provide them a chance to live a comfortable life.Now the five municipal councils have joined forces to do their bit to help the ministry cope with the demand.A delegation of the councils has returned from a visit to Singapore where they discussed the housing facilities provided by the Singapore municipal council.As part of cooperation, the five councils will soon draft a camera crew to Singapore to make a documentary on the lifestyle there.The 21-member delegation to Singapore last December was led by Central Municipal Council chairman Ibrahim Hussain.The general secretary of the delegation and council secretary, Jassim Redha, disclosed to Bahrain Tribune the plans. “Our immediate step will be to seek the support of the authorities for the documentary. The councils will also take up the housing issue with the authorities concerned, especially the Supreme Council for Housing and Development to adopt the project.According to Redha, the visit mainly aimed to share Singapore’s experience expertise in the municipal field, especially in highrise buildings. “We met representatives of the Housing and Development Board which is the apex body dealing with public housing facilities.“It was a new experience for us to see how Singapore has solved its housing problems in the last 40 years. The board has provided about one million apartments, covering 85 per cent of the population.“Singapore has no cues for houses in that the board receives about 10,000 applications every year and builds as many housing units which include walk-in flats on ownership basis. Also, the country has a huge market for second- hand flats (borse),” he said.“The five councils plan to discuss the transfer of this know-how in highrise living, especially because we are in the designing stage of townships such as the Northern Town, the Manama Bay and Central City. We also want to benefit from Singapore expertise to develop landscapes, expand green belts by setting up new parks and garden networks,” Redha said.“We held talks with officials of the national park authority which has been expanding greenery in Singapore and changing the country into a big garden.”The delegation also met waste management control experts. “We will prepare a report and compare the system in both countries.”“The delegates also visited the Urban Redevelopment Authority which is in-charge of the urban designing and reshaping Singapore. “They have been working on a 10-year master plans since 2001. We also visited officials of Surbana, the biggest construction company in Singapore, which is known for its expertise in infrastructure development and town planning,” he said.

BD250,000 Karbabad park work to begin

By RASHA AL QAHTANI
MANAMA
WORK on a new BD250,000 public park in Karbabad village will begin by the end of this month. The project was initiated by Manama Municipal Council as part of its development programme for the Capital Governorate.
Council member Mohammed Abdulla Mansoor Abdulla said the park, near Le Chocolat in Seef, would feature a variety of facilities for Karbabad and neighbouring villages.
"The park will have rides for children, a walkway and artificial waterfall," he said.
"It will give the residents of Karbabad a place to escape to from the pressures of modern life.
"Children in the area will also have a safe place to play."
Work on the project, which will be built on an area of 5,762 square metres, is expected to be completed by August next year.
"We will plant a lot of trees, set up shades and instal floodlights around the park to make the place brighter and more appealing and presentable."
Plans for a small zoo to be included in the park on the request of Karbabad residents was scrapped by the council, said Mr Abdulla.
He said the decision was made in view of the many diseases that may be caused by animals.
"The idea of the small zoo was good, but we refused it because we don't want to endanger the health of residents," said Mr Abdulla.
"The park will also include other necessary facilities, such as toilets for disabled people since the council takes them into consideration in every project it implements.
"It will mean they will no longer have to travel elsewhere to enjoy park surroundings, or for their children to play in a safe environment," he said.
"Instead of going to other parks and walkways, residents will now be able to walk or jog in a place closer to their homes."

Home repairs joy for the needy

By RASHA AL QAHTANI
MANAMA
ELDERLY couples, widows, divorced women and single parents will soon benefit from a BD500,000 scheme for the renovation and expansion of their homes. The scheme, launched by Municipalities and Agriculture Ministry, provides each governorate with BD100,000 to renovate homes for a maximum of BD5,000 each.
It is designed to help needy Bahraini homeowners who are not eligible for existing government housing services or benefiting from the BD120m project initiated by His Majesty King Hamad to upgrade 6,000 dilapidated houses in five years.
Bahrainis must have an income not exceeding BD350 to be eligible for the scheme, carried out in co-operation with the five municipal councils.
Capital Municipal-ity member Abdulaziz Al Khaja said municipal councils have already started distributing application forms to charity funds who can pass them to needy families.
"Once these forms are filled out, we will collect them and look at the cases most in need of renovations," he told the GDN.
"Not only will there be renovations, but we will also be adding rooms if a case arises that there are too many people living in one house."
Mr Al Khaja said extensions could include new kitchens, extra bedrooms or bathrooms.
"Many people are living under very poor conditions, their houses are too cramped for the size of the family," he said.
"Sometimes these homes have only two bedrooms for a 10-member family, which can barely hold all of them in two small rooms.
"Other cases include kitchens and bathrooms in really bad conditions, which can become unhygienic for family members and attract pests.
"What the project mainly does is help these families with maintenance and extensions for their homes."

Illegal slaughtering!No officials to keep tab in Burhama, Naim

Butchers defied the authorities and slaughtered livestock in Burhama in Manama yesterday.Worse, none of the inspectors from the Ministry of Health, who were supposed to monitor the slaughtering in various areas, were present, the councillor from Naim, Burhama and Salhiya, Sadiq Rahma, said. In Naim, illegal slaughtering continued in unhygienic areas.“The municipality has issued instruction that butchers will only be allowed to sell the livestock outside the village.“Butchers have already been taken to court by the municipality and municipal inspectors cannot stop them. The police should intervene and ensure that the butchers move to the official Sitra abattoir. Neither inspectors from the ministry nor Public Security were seen in the area.”General engineer of Manama Municipality services and head of inspection and follow-up, Fadi Shaikh, refused to comment on Burhama and Naim but said they would handle the issue in coordination with the municipal council.Rahma said they would prepare a report on the illegal activities of the butchers and present it to the Manama Municipality General Director Abdulkarim Hassan. “Twenty-two butchers in Burhama used to work in the Central Market. They had been removed to pave the way for the meat and fish market and the Ramis store. The butchers worked on roadsides for some time and then shifted to Burhama behind the Bapco Garden.” In the Muharraq Governorate, butchers continued business as usual in their farms. A butcher, Ahmed Ali Al Qassab, said many butchers formed groups and slaughtered animals in about 20 farms. “No municipal inspector or health official visited our farms today.”

Warning against illegal livestock trading

The Manama Municipal Council has warned against illegal trade in livestock in Burhama and Manama during Eid Al Adha. It has also reported illicit slaughtering of goats and sheep to Ministry of Health which is responsible for protecting public health, council secretary Jassim Redha said.“For about five years, the council has been receiving complaints from Burhama residents about the illegal buying, selling and slaughtering of livestock.“We have warned farmowners indulging in such illicit business time and again. We also took action against all those involved and the cases are pending at the lower court.“For years, 16 farmowners in Manama gather in the Burhama area behind Bapco Garden every Eid to sell livestock. They also slaughter the animals without the supervision of any health official. We have apprised ministry officials of the issue because it is their responsibility to check any illegal slaughtering outside the authorised places.“During Eid the slaughtering is common and we will seek police help to stop them early morning on Eid days,” Redha said.He said the council’s main problem was that farmowners from outside Manama come to Burhama to sell their livestock. “They have converted the place into a sheep market,” he said.Redha said: “We have also apprised Manama Municipality general director Abdulkarim Hassan of the problem that will start again during Eid. We are awaiting a court verdict on the unlawful market and slaughtering.”

Gudaibiya Park facelift on target

By RASHA AL QAHTANI
THE first phase of a BD150,000 renovation of the dilapidated Gudaibiya Park has been completed. Full plans include new children's play equipment, a games hall for youngsters, landscaping and new fences and paths.
The first phase involved creating a soccer field, on which local teams have already started playing. Work is being carried out by the Manama Municipality and supervised by the Manama Municipal Council.
Councillor Tariq Mohammed Taha Shaikh Mohammed Saleh said the park would be completely revamped in the second phase of the project. "Everything in it will be removed and replaced," he said.
"We will remove the sand, the old fence, the old broken bricks from passages, the trees that can be a hazard, dead grass and old shades."
Mr Saleh said a hall would be built for youngsters with pool tables and arcade games. Electricity will be connected to the park, to light it.
"Previously the place was dark and visitors had to depend on the street lights to see," said Mr Saleh.
"We will also instal new floodlights around the park to make the place brighter and more appealing and presentable."
Mr Saleh said that the park would also feature a 30-space car park and a new section for children. "It will have games, slides and swings, in addition to seats especially designed for children," he said.
"The park also includes other necessary facilities, such as toilets for disabled people, since the council takes them into consideration in every project it implements.
"The park is just the beginning and the success of our co-operation will hopefully continue with future projects."
Mr Saleh said Gudaybiya residents had been asking for the renovation of the park for a long time." "Gudaibiya is the only area in the Capital Governorate without a proper park and residents are either forced to go to parks elsewhere or sit at home," he said. The park will also have a hi-tech irrigation system, to keep the grass green.

Council looking for candidates

Five members of the Manama Municipal Council will not contest the forthcoming elections. “Chairman Murtada Bader, technical committee member Sayed Yousif Hashim and heads of old houses rehabilitation committee Syed Jameel Khadhem, of public relations Mohammed Abdullah Mansoor, and of financial and legal committee Majeed Milad have decided not to contest the elections,” council secretary Jasim Redha said yesterday. “The council is looking for suitable candidates to replace the outgoing members. But it is a difficult task. Councillors do not enjoy much benefits or rewards. There is no pension fund or car and telephone allowances, for example. They also have to contribute a lot from their salaries for their retirement and pension. Besides, members should always contribute to charity funds and other activities every month. It is difficult to find qualified people. “We have started registration for candidates. We are also receiving and reviewing applications and papers from a number of people seeking to work at the council. The council is publishing a manual highlighting our strategy. It will serve as an election programme for our candidates,” Redha said. The council has 22 seats and hopes two or three seats might be added.

Parking plea is rejected

By MOHAMMED AL A'ALI
RESIDENTS of the Capital Governorate will not be allowed to put up covered parking on public land near their homes because it takes too much space, said the Manama Municipal Council.
A group of residents had requested the council to come up with a rule that would allow them to set up shaded areas.
Councillors, however, refused permission for the shades, saying these were inconvenient and inappropriate.
The council's technical committee studied the proposal and advised councillors to reject the request.
"The shades take space from the road and not from the owner's land," said committee vice-chairman Jaffar Al Qaidoom.
"Most of the neighbourhoods are narrow and with the shades, ambulances and fire engines can't enter during any emergency."
Mr Al Qaidoom said that giving permission for such a request would have been unethical. "This means the person has reserved the parking space for himself, without the neighbour having the right to park there," he said.
"These shades make parking place exclusive for the person who has set them up, when the road is a public property that everyone should be allowed to use."
Councillors were also requested to issue new licences for goldsmith workshops in the old Manama Suq area.
Existing ones have been instructed to get clearance from the Public Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife and the Health Ministry or else close down.

Clamp on new clinic licences

By TARIQ KHONJI
NO new licences for clinics will be granted in Manama in areas outside those designated by the Capital Municipal Council, it was revealed yesterday.
New medical clinics will now only be allowed to open in certain parts of Tubli, Zinj and Mahooz.
Council chairman Murtaza Bader said the move aims to reduce the small islands of medical areas spread all over the country.
"At the moment there are small clinics and groups of clinics scattered all over the country," he said.
"We want to make the capital more organised by having clinics located in a central area.
"Clinics can open along Al Qadissiya Road which runs from Salmaniya, passes between Jasmis' Restaurant and Al Jazira Supermarket and connects to Shaikh Isa Highway," said Mr Bader.
"They can also open on Road 35 on which La Maison de Café is located and on the road parallel to Shaikh Isa Highway located in Tubli behind McDonald's and the other restaurants."
Mr Bader said the move would not affect existing clinics but that they may have to move later when the council introduces its new guidelines for clinics shortly.
"They will either have to move or do maintenance work to meet our new requirements or move to the newly designated areas."
The requirements stipulate that clinics must have ample parking space and easy access for cars.
Clinics will not be allowed to operate in areas, which regularly have major traffic jams, said Mr Bader.
The clinics will also have to have fire safety standards that meet the requirements of the Civil Defence and Fire Service.