Dozens of old houses demolished in Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi City Municipality (ADM) has demolished "dozens" of old communal houses in Al Samha, Al Khatam, and Old Shahama areas after they were deemed too old and unfit for safe lodging.
Removing old communal houses, which were built over 25 years ago, "contributes to nurturing a sound healthy environment", said the ADM. "Such abandoned houses had become a perfect breeding ground for insects and rodents, and (posed) a threat to the safety and security of residents."
About 15 communal houses were demolished in Al Katam. "Landlords of these houses were notified and given sufficient grace period to remove them after carrying out engineering inspection to assess their conditions. The final engineering reports concluded that they were unfit for accommodation and have to be removed for the safety and health of occupants."
The municipality has identified more than 392 old houses whose construction dates back 25 years or more in the area.
The municipality has also demolished 17 houses at Samha and identified seven others for demolition. About 15 houses were rebuilt in Samha.
The municipality recently launched an inspection campaign targeting violating villas and buildings. It intends to remove all buildings as well as outlawed structures and annexes within old and abandoned villas and houses.
The ADM has set out several teams to undertake this process and tasked specialist inspectors to monitor and follow up on the demolition and removal works.
The decision to remove these ageing buildings is in response to the complaints of residents about the health risks posed by them.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com