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Sharjah residents allowed to instal barriers on balconies

Sharjah - The initiative has been launched by the municipality in cooperation with the prevention and safety authority (PSA), the Sharjah committee for urban planning, the Sharjah Police, and the civil defence department.

The Sharjah Municipality has said tenants of residential apartments will be allowed to put up a translucent acrylic barrier on their balcony railings. The move is to curb incidents of children falling out of windows and balconies of high-rise buildings.
Addressing a Press conference, Khalid bin Falah Al Suwaidi, director of customer services of the municipality, said that the step is part of the civic body's efforts to avert potential risks. "Residents who wish to instal acrylic barrier can get approval from the monitoring and inspection section of the municipality in the industrial area number 5 after paying Dh200. Apart from submitting a request form for installing the protective barrier, the applicants will have to furnish a no- objection letter from the owner of the residential unit." 
The tenants must also present a photo of the balcony where the barrier is to be placed. They will have to sign an undertaking that they would place the barrier based on the specifications and standards laid down by the municipality. Once installed, the inspectors will visit the house to check if the barrier meets all the prescribed conditions.
The initiative has been launched by the municipality in cooperation with the prevention and safety authority (PSA), the Sharjah committee for urban planning, the Sharjah Police, and the civil defence department. 
Khalid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, director of the PSA, said the authority has been organising campaigns to educate the public about the important precautionary measures that can go a long way in saving lives. "The campaign's focus is on sensitising parents about the importance of complying with safety and security rules to avoid fall of their children from balconies."
Thabet Salem Al Turaifi, director-general of the Sharjah Municipality, said that the campaign, launched by the civic body in coordination with other government departments, mainly aims at emphasising that parents should realise their responsibility and take extra caution when their children get near the windows or balconies.
Under its awareness campaign, the municipality has come out with publications in various languages, including Arabic, English and Urdu. These brochures have been distributed among residents of 3,000 buildings in areas where high-rise buildings and towers are located, including Al Majaz, Abu Shaghara, Al Qasemia and Al Nahda. Besides, the civic body sent text messages to more than 10,000 Sharjah residents regarding ways to avert the danger that kids face while on balconies.
Khalifa bin Hadda, director of engineering and projects department in the Sharjah Municipality, said the civic body has made amendments on technical specifications for safer residential buildings and asked the owners to make sure the balcony railings and windows are elevated to 120cm instead of one metre.
They have also been told to place locks at windows that should not open more than 5 to 10cm. The municipality has ensured that the owners of old buildings, where the height of the balconies are less than 120cm, make alterations to the height and adhere to technical specifications that are being followed by the new buildings.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com