NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL
Storms claim at least 12 victims
UAE - MARCH 30:The full extent of the damage and human tragedy caused by more than three days of violent storms began to emerge yesterday as the death toll rose to at least 12 and further rain was predicted.
Among the dead was a nine-year-old girl who drowned at Sharjah beach after being overwhelmed by strong winds and waves on Saturday. Safaa Majid Mithalie had been swimming with her father, Majid, 40, and brother Mohammed, 11, who were said to be recovering in Kuwaiti Hospital yesterday.
Members of the Sharjah marine rescue team recovered the girl’s body. “All residents should watch the weather forecasts before going to the sea, there is no reason for one to go to the sea when it is not safe,” a senior police official said.
Mohammed al Hamli, of the Coastguard, said on Friday the guard had banned fishing and swimming in the sea.
Police in Dubai also blamed the storms for multiple road accidents over the weekend that killed eight and injured 12. In Abu Dhabi, however, traffic police said there had been no serious accidents during the storms.
Three workers were killed at a building site in Dubai last Thursday when winds blew the roof off of a warehouse under construction and a wall collapsed on them.
Homes in Fujairah and Al Ain were damaged by flooding, and the owner of one Al Ain house that had its roof blown off on Wednesday said he had no plans to make good immediately.
“The repairs will cost me Dh70,000 and it doesn’t seem worth it,” said Musab al Dhaheri, who was renting out the home for Dh24,000 a year. “I don’t have insurance and may just tear it down and build something new there instead.”
The family of three who had been living there are staying at Al Massa Hotel in Al Ain, paid for by the Al Ain Division of the Abu Dhabi Police, while they look for somewhere else.
The family estimates the loss to personal property at more than Dh18,000, and say that while they have “found a few places that are available for rent, the prices are very expensive compared with what we were paying before”.
The Al Hilli Equestrian Centre also suffered extensive damage.
“Both awnings covering both equestrian fields were completely blown off,” said Humaid al Sheryani, the owner. “In addition the centre’s sign board was broken almost in half, nine palm trees were uprooted and several windows were broken by flying debris.”
Mr al Sheryani, who said he was not insured, estimated the damage at more than Dh70,000.
“Officials from the municipality came without my asking them to and surveyed the damage and took pictures, saying that they would file a claim for me,” said Mr al Sheryani.
A spokesman for Al Ain Municipality said an official assessment of the damage in the area would be done, “but we are waiting for the storm to pass first”.
The weather was also blamed for a number of minor road accidents. In 3½ hours last Thursday during stormy weather, officers from Saaed, the private company contracted to handle minor accidents in Abu Dhabi, responded to 37 incidents on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi road between Shahama and the border with Dubai.
Ibrahim Ramel, president of the company, said Saaed had also been helping police clear fallen trees off roads and secure advertising signs.
Meanwhile, insurance companies were preparing for a surge of claims on vehicles and homes damaged by wind, hail and water.
Mr N Murali Sundaram, motor claims manager for Arab Orient Insurance Company, based in Dubai, said his company was “expecting a flow of claims”.
Alexis de Beauregard, of AXA Gulf insurance, said the full picture of the financial toll could be slow to form, as claimants were under no legal obligation to lodge claims on vehicles promptly.
“We recommend if they want to have their money quickly, to declare quickly,” he said.
UAE Red Crescent had helped 13 families in Al Ain and 20 in Fujairah, putting some of them in hotels and giving Dh10,000 to others. With rains continuing in the northern Emirates, traffic came to a standstill on the Al Ittihad Road from Sharjah to Dubai during morning rush hour. Flooding was reported in Abu Shaghara, Al Khan and Rolla, where residents reported knee-deep water.
Sharjah Municipality said yesterday it hoped to avoid the problems experienced during heavy rains last year, when motorists were stuck in their cars for hours.
“We have learnt from last year and our staff are on the roads assisting in clearing all the blocks in co-operation with the police and civil defence,” said a spokesman.
He said more than 400 municipality staff and around 125 tankers were on 24-hour duty to clear the roads.
“We are also getting help from some private tanker companies,” he said.
Clean-up efforts were going on in other emirates as well. Dr Misbah Rashid Hamid, the head of Umm al Qaiwain Municipality, said a municipal task force was draining the roads despite continued rain.
In Ajman traffic lights malfunctioned and police closed some roads. An official from Ajman’s operations room said the municipality was clearing most of the roads that had been submerged.
In Dubai, the municipality has deployed more than 400 workers into various parts of the city to sort out waterlogging and other flood-relayed problems.
In Al Gharbia, Rakan al Murar, a spokesman for Western Region Municipality, said sandstorms last week had made some highways in the area treacherous.
Forecasters said yesterday the unstable weather was expected to continue until Wednesday.
Mohammed al Abri, manager of the meteorological department of the National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology, said: “There is a risk of strong winds and a reduction in visibility due to blowing sand, especially in the interior. The whole of the UAE is covered by clouds and there will be some forming of thunderstorms at places.”
* With reporting by Matthew Chung, Haneen Dajani, Essam al Ghalib, Yasin Kakande and Praveen Menon
ree months – no TV, internet, satellite,” said David Cowie, 27, a New Zealander and project manager at an environmental business who rents in Lake City tower.
He also owns and rents out a flat in the neighbouring Indigo tower, which is supplied with telecommunications services by du.
“You’d think they’d try and connect both the buildings at the same time,” Mr Cowie said. “It’s annoying.”
Anna Praygoda, 30, and Martin Pisecki, 25, a Polish couple who live in Lake Terrace tower, said they had tried, to no avail, to get internet services since moving in over a year ago.
Mr Pisecki said they had asked the management company many times when they would be connected to the internet. “They told us that du is the provider and that installation is in progress,” he said.
Ms Praygoda said it was difficult to contact the management staff because they were only available during the day, when she was at work.
“We’re only here in the evening, when most of the building staff has gone,” she said. “So we don’t have many people to talk to about the problems.”
Etisalat and du, both of which service Jumeirah Lakes Towers, did not respond to questions about the issue.
New road to cut congestion around Abu Dhabi Mall
Abu Dhabi - MARCH 30: A new road scheduled to open this week will improve traffic flow in one of the capital’s most congested areas, the municipality said yesterday.
The new road will emerge from the right lane of Salam Street and run to the Abu Dhabi Mall area, bypassing a closed interchange.
Salam Street is undergoing extensive roadworks as part of a Dh5 billion (US$1.4bn) project that will double the Eastern Ring Road’s capacity.
The work, which is due to finish in Oct 2010, has caused heavy congestion in the Tourist Club Area, lengthening journey times to Abu Dhabi Mall.
The municipality said the new road would significantly improve traffic flow on Salam Street.
Before the current roadworks, traffic on Salam Street heading towards the mall in the direction of the Corniche turned right at the junction with Falah Street.
However, this intersection is now closed.
The new road bypasses the Al Falah junction, allowing traffic to flow from Salam Street directly to the area around the shopping centre.
Signs will direct drivers to the alternative routes, the municipality said.
Staff at shops in Abu Dhabi Mall were less confident that the changes would ease the traffic congestion.
“It’s admirable that something is finally being done to try and fix the problem, and that the problem is being acknowledged in the first place, but this solution is just impossible because there is still only one route to the mall,” said Jihan Ramadan Dal, a saleswoman at the Jashanmal department store in Abu Dhabi Mall.
However, she was glad that motorists would no longer be held up at the lights at the interchange of Al Falah and Salam streets.
“That specific traffic light feels like the slowest traffic light in the world,” she said. “When it turns green, it does so for barely a few seconds. The new road will help from that end at least.”
Mohammed Farid, a salesman at the BHS store, doubted whether the new road would help much.
“For customers coming to the mall from outside of the city, down Salam Street, this route might help,” he said.
“But it does not solve the problem of the lorries congesting the area. A solution has to be found to get these lorries to the port without them passing through the Tourist Club Area.”
Hameed Khan, a taxi driver, said he dreaded taking passengers to the Tourist Club area.
He said the new route would help those driving into the city on Salam Street, but said most of his passengers heading to the mall were from within the city.
Several businesses in the mall claimed that business has dipped noticeably since the road works began late last year.
“I’ve had so many of my regular customers tell me that it takes them 15 minutes to shop here at the store, but sometimes up to two hours to just get out of the parking and out of the area, due to the unbelievable traffic,” Ms Dal observed.
Mr Farid said: “I know for a fact that the store has lost customers to the branch in Marina Mall.”
The municipality said “new and better diversion plans are being developed” to ease traffic congestion caused by the roadworks.
“Traffic signal timing in high traffic areas has been amended while specialists pay close attention to daily traffic situations in order to help people reach their destinations safely and faster.”
Work on the Salam Street project, due to finish in Oct 2010, is on schedule, according to the project managers.
When it is finished, motorists will be able to drive from Al Meena to the Sheikh Zayed Bridge without passing a traffic signal.
Expats urged to help fix India’s economy
Venu Rajamony, the consul general of India, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, a former president of India and Sheikh Saud bin Saqr, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of RAK, attend the launch of India Matters. Pawan Singh / The National
DUBAI - MARCH 30: A former president of India yesterday called for contributions from expatriates to beat the economic crisis.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam spoke at the launch of the magazine India Matters, released by the Indian consulate in Dubai.
“Indians living abroad are bubbling with ideas and energy of how they can help India,” Dr Kalam said. “This should be channelled in the right direction.”
He called for innovative thinking about the economy and urged the Indian government to focus on agriculture.
“The Indian economy would not be largely affected by the crises,” he said. “However, the effect would be seen in reduction of export and outsourcing. Here we need innovation in thinking to pull us out of crises.”
Dr Kalam, 77, is also known as the father of the country’s nuclear, missile and satellite programmes.
Venu Rajamony, the Indian consul general, said the monthly magazine would endeavour to strengthen the economic partnership between India and the UAE by publishing reports and features that would assist the business community here.
“In view of the global slowdown and the financial crisis, India and the UAE should focus even more on each other and strengthen their long-standing economic and business ties,” he said.
“There are a 100 possibilities, 100 opportunities that beckon us and it can be achieved together by both nations.”
Talmiz Ahmed, the Indian ambassador, said the magazine was a timely effort which will inform people of the roles of the Indian mission and community in various fields in the UAE.
“This is especially important when we are facing an economic slowdown,” Mr Ahmed said. “In the current phase of uncertainty due to the global economic slowdown, we should not forget that ours is a resilient nation.
“We have a great son of India with us today,” he said, referring to Dr Kalam. “We are embarked on an adventure of developing a knowledge economy, both India and the UAE.”
Dr Kalam elaborated his view on the importance of India to the world and the region. He encouraged strategies for showcasing current Indian developments to various parts of the world.
“I would like to suggest in your issues the publication of case studies in promoting business and science and social activities for mutual benefit to India and Gulf countries,” he said. “During the next decade India will have challenges which will propel a number of business opportunities.”
The magazine, which will be distributed free, will report on developments in India, as well as events relating to India and the Indian community in the UAE.
A version is to be made available on the web.
Dubai launches drive to save water
Dubai - MARCH 30: Increased demand for water and growing pressure on desalinated supplies have prompted Dubai Electricity Water Authority (DEWA) to call for more conservation.
Meanwhile. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, yesterday championed conservation in his opening address at the Water and Energy Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex), held at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre, where DEWA said it was looking to build on the educational initiatives and regulations begun last year to help ensure that supply can meet increasing demand.
DEWA said 60 per cent of 2008’s consumption had come from the residential sector.
Amal Koshak, the utility’s senior manager of demand and tariff management, said simple changes in behaviour, like not leaving taps running, had significantly reduced water consumption. Nevertheless, she encouraged all water users to be responsible and play their parts in the conservation drive.
DEWA statistics released yesterday show that demand for desalinated water rose 10 per cent last year, to 88,405 million imperial gallons. The supply was 91,260m imperial gallons, with 4,064m from wells and the rest from desalination plants.
Although that indicates there was enough water to meet demand, over the past five years the increase in demand has outstripped supply.
Ms Koshak said the latest initiatives towards saving water would include a permanent conservation centre and an interactive display for children at Kidzania in Dubai Mall.
“They will then have to fix leaks and find a way to increase the water supply. It will be a fun exercise but also be a powerful way of showing the consequences of water wastage,” she said.
The moves follow incentives introduced last year including so-called slab tariffs for water under which the cost per gallon per household rises as consumption increases. This was followed by a campaign which aimed to demonstrate the consequences of wasting water.
Ms Koshak said the campaign had resulted in a 42 per cent saving at schools and a 43 per cent saving by government departments.
With 97 per cent of water sourced from desalination plants, one of the consequences of wasting water, combined with a growing population, was the need to build expensive, intrusive new plants along a coastline that is now earmarked for residential and leisure development.
“The only way of meeting increasing demand is to increase our capacity of desalinated water through building new plants. However, we hope that by focusing on education and developing a conservation culture we can balance out an increase in demand with less wastage, and therefore limit the number of new plants required,” Ms Koshak said.
After homes, the commercial sector is the next heaviest consumer, accounting for a quarter of the city’s water consumption. With huge projects such as Tiger Woods Dubai, Sports City and Dubailand due to be completed within five years, the water demand for the sector is bound to increase significantly.
However, DEWA has sought to limit the pressure on desalinated water supplies through regulations specifying that alternative water sources be used for irrigation or construction.
“We have been meeting developers and maintenance staff to provide some tips on how to reduce water use. Most major projects have their own district cooling plants and we have specified that these must source their water supply from seawater or sewerage treatment works. This will ensure that desalinated water is only used where necessary,” Ms Koshak said.
Sheikh Hamdan applauded the efforts by DEWA to reduce water and energy consumption among the general public. DEWA was directly involved in safeguarding the natural resources of the UAE and preserving the local environment, he said.