400 labourers face eviction

By RASHA AL QAHTANI
MORE than 400 Asian labourers living crammed into four villas in Adliya could soon be evicted by the Manama Municipal Council.About 60 residents signed a petition saying they could no longer tolerate so many labourers living amongst them.
Residents said the labourers were rowdy and families were nervous for their children.
Councillor Jaffar Ahmed Hassan Al Kaidoom said that he had inspected the area and seen the conditions the labourers were living in.
"There are about four to five villas, each occupied by over 100 expatriate workers," he said.
"The owners of these villas do not only illegally reside labourers in the area, but also have construction fines."
Mr Al Kaidoom said the owners had added extra rooms and floors to their villas to accommodate the labourers.
"The legislative committee of the council is currently working on special rules for Asian labourers living in the governorate," he said.
"After the conditions are set, they will be presented to the council to be approved."
Once the new terms are in place, the Asians living in the villas concerned will be evicted, he said.
Residents sent the petition to the municipal council along with a letter in April complaining that the workers were making too much noise, hanging their clothes outside in the open and causing traffic problems by parking company trucks or buses in the area.
Families said they could no longer put up with the noise and inconvenience and demanded that the council take immediate action.
"After I received the petition I went down to the area and inspected the houses myself and I agree that the living conditions are bad," said Mr Al Kaidoom,
He said that the problem was becoming more severe with the rising population of Asian labourers in the area.
Landlords probably want to make money out of the rented villas by allowing a large number of low paid labourers to live in them, said Mr Al Kaidoom.
"This however is not going to go on for much longer and we will call the landlords and tell them about the problem and tell them to evict the labourers as soon as the conditions are approved.
"We are now also sending out letters to the people who signed the petition telling them that the municipal council is working on the case."