(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) Abu Dhabi City's municipal authorities are striving to improve living conditions to ensure its residents are free from medical complications, said a UAE daily.
"Health and hygiene standards must keep pace with the growth of a bustling city. Abu Dhabi City's municipal authorities are striving to improve living conditions to ensure its residents are free from medical complications arising from squalid conditions in crowded areas," said Khaleej Times in an editorial on Monday.
Hence the crackdown on packed localities and apartments in the capital. The plan is to spread the population evenly in an expanding city and improve hygiene and sanitation facilities for all. Figures released last year showed the capital being home to 1.5 million people, a majority of whom live in close proximity to each other. As the economy thrives, expats flock to the capital in search of jobs and a better life for their families in their home countries.
Many foreign workers are engaged in construction projects and other low paying jobs. Affordable housing options for these single men are few except for some facilities sponsored by companies in industrial areas in the suburbs.
"These are far from the city centre. Stagnant salaries and rising rents pose a challenge for these bachelors who choose to stay illegally in cramped quarters with other workers," added the paper.
Unscrupulous property brokers exploit the situation and charge AED 500-800 per person for a room. Municipality guidelines permit only three people but in most bachelor apartment blocks across the city it was found that there were more than that number, some even home to eight per room. Officials also said building plans were altered to squeeze in more people per apartment.
While safety and health are Abu Dhabi municipality's justified concerns, bachelors are asking for a fair deal where they don't have to constantly live in fear of evictions from their decrepit dwellings. "Building more low cost housing for bachelors and doing away with middlemen could be the solution to the problem. Companies sponsoring these workers must also share the burden and partner with authorities to house their workers in clean environments," concluded the daily.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.