Dubai Municipality inspectors find consumer materials hidden in manholes at Dubai labour camp

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DUBAI, 15th January, 2017 (WAM) -- Inspectors from the Environmental Emergency Office at Dubai Municipality have discovered 10 abandoned manholes, which were being used as storage for consumer items in labour accommodation in Muhaisina, Dubai.

Workers had exploited the unnoticed manholes in one of the demolished labour accommodations to store kitchenware, blankets, tools and carpets, as well as different home appliances and accessories.

The confiscated items, the estimated quantity of which was 30 tonnes, were since destroyed, said Mohammed Abbas Al Balooshi, Head of the Environmental Emergency Office at the Municipality.

He added that his office had received information that some people were using old unused manholes for the storage of consumable materials and camouflaging the sites with some old wood and cartons, so that the inspectors did not notice them.

"However, our inspectors raided these places and found out that they were filled with accessories, blankets, carpets, and kitchenware. All of them were packed and ready for sale to the public, who were unaware of the danger to them by using those tools and accessories that were polluting the environment and public health," said Al Balooshi.

"A report has been compiled and in coordination with the municipality departments of Assets Management, Waste Management and Food Safety, we will ensure, at the earliest, that we these people, who play with the health and safety of our workers, are brought to book," he said.

Al Balooshi also noted that the intensive campaign led by the inspectors of the Environmental Emergency Office resulted in the seizure of 45 vehicles which were supplying random markets with damaged goods such as vegetables, fish and meat, which they were bringing from outside the emirate after being rejected by slaughterhouses there, in addition to live chickens.

He said that this had been brought to the notice of the senior management of the municipality, who ordered the seizure of all of the vehicles for three months, along with a large penalty and a written undertaking from the owner of the vehicles that the violations will not be repeated, failing which the vehicles will be confiscated permanently.