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213 abandoned boats, trawlers seized from Sharjah city's beaches

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Supplied photo

Supplied photo

Sharjah - The seizure was carried out after the municipality authorities notified the owners of abandoned boats.

Published: Thu 10 Dec 2020, 3:35 PM

Updated: Thu 10 Dec 2020, 4:18 PM

Sharjah Municipality has seized over 213 abandoned boats and trawlers from the city's beaches this year during over 20,000 inspection drives to prevent defacing of public places.

Khalid bin Falah Al-Suwaidi, Assistant General Manager of the Customer Service Sector of the Sharjah Municipality, said the civic body conducted a sustained drive throughout the year to ensure that public places were not distorted and violators were booked for their reckless acts.

He said the municipality was determined to further enhance the aesthetic beauty of the city, especially its beaches.

“Over 20,000 inspection drives have been carried out since the beginning of this year. We confiscated over 213 abandoned boats and trawlers coupled with junked fishing tools and equipment that caused distortion to public places and showed cultural insensitivities,” Al Suwaidi said.

He said the seizure was carried out after the municipality authorities notified the owners of abandoned boats, trawlers and neglected fishing tools to take necessary measures.

Jamal Abdullah Al-Mazmi, the head of the City Cleaning Control Department of the Sharjah Municipality, said the boats and trawlers, which were spotted on various beaches of the city, were used as shelter homes or warehouses of fishing equipment.

Some of them were turned into makeshift kitchens. Damaged and abandoned trawlers have been found in violation of laws and regulations against distortion of cultural appearance of Sharjah.

Mohammad Ali Al Kaabi, the head of the City Cleanliness Section at the Sharjah Municipality, said the owners, who wished to restore their seized boats, must first pay up a fine and then seek permission from the Municipal Control and Inspection Department in the Fifth Industrial Area for their further use.

He said an awareness campaign via social media was in progress to eradicate distortion of public places.

There has been an uptick in the deployment of civic inspectors in Sharjah and they have been tasked to spot environmental violations and ensure that the aesthetic beauty of public places is maintained.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com



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