Dubai has 14,000 violating villas

Drive dodgers' illegal generators confiscated as authorities continue to crack the whip

One Villa One Family Campaign

BY PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 19 Nov 2009

About 14,000 villas in Dubai were found violating building rules since the launch of the 'One Villa One Family' campaign early in the year 2008, reveals Dubai Municipality (DM).

The civic body has further intensified its actions against multiple-family residing villas, with yet another move to confiscate power generators illegally used by tenants, whose electricity and water connections were severed by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).

According to the DM officials, some 19 illegally operated diesel generators had been confiscated from such multiple-family living villas during the first three days of the new phase of the campaign.

The DM had informed the offending owners and tenants through newspaper advertisements on its decision to confiscate generators of all the illegal residing facilities with effect from Nov.12, so that they are not left with any more excuses.

"The confiscated generators will not be returned to the law-breakers, as the action was in implementation of the Local Order No.3 for the year 1999 pertaining to organising construction work in Dubai," said a senior DM official.

Inspection's 2nd phase

Omar Mohammed AbdulRahman, Head of Building Inspection Section in the Buildings Department at the DM, said, "More than one family sharing single villas and illegally using diesel generators for electricity supply, in violation of the building rules, have been detected during the second phase of the inspection by civic body officials."

"The DM had given them a sufficient time-frame to vacate such villas, and accordingly their electricity and water supplies were disconnected in cooperation with Dewa, as the grace periods lapsed," he added.

According to him, as the offenders were illegally using the diesel generators, it resulted in creating a lot of environmental hazards - polluting smoke emitted from them, along with noise pollution - for the people living in the neighbourhood.

Offenders

AbdulRahman said the DM had issued warnings that multiple families staying in one residential unit after illegally making alterations inside the building, would not be allowed.

"It is against the rules and regulations regarding building safety as well as the social and urban planning norms. The warning was part of a campaign, launched in the year 2005, against bachelors living in family residential areas," he noted.

"Accordingly, the municipality had notified the building owners as well real estate agencies not to rent out villas to bachelors and to allow only one family to live in single residential units," he added.

AbdulRahman said that the DM also had informed them that all services would be disconnected and the future transactions with them would be stopped. "The service amenities like water, electricity and sewage are provided to residential units, according to the building plans. When the residential unit is used by more families against the plan, it becomes difficult to manage resulting in the accumulation of waste, affecting public safety and environment," he explained.

He pointed out that notices were issued to each villa after conducting inspections and a convenient time period for vacating the villas was provided, after which Dewa warned it would cut the electricity and water connections.

Flat sharing

"Meanwhile, there is no such campaign targeting flats being shared by multi-families," clarified AbdulRahman.

"However, the DM will take necessary actions, in the event of complaints about huge number of families living within a small area of a single flat which creates social problem for neighbours," he warned.

"The municipality has outlined regulations and measures to adhere to environment and public safety measures in flats. No partitions are allowed without prior permission from the municipality," AbdulRahman said.