Satellite dish rules go largely ignored across Abu Dhabi
*Satellite dishes visible from the street crowd the roof of a building
near Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre. Ravindranath K / The National*
Satellite dish rules go largely ignored across Abu Dhabi
*By Anwar Ahmad**
**The National [UAE]**
**
**February 15, 2015 11:31 PM*
http://www.thenational.ae/uae/satellite-dish-rules-go-largely-ignored-across-abu-dhabi
ABU DHABI // The eyesore of satellite dishes across the roofs of the
capital is slowly diminishing as restrictions on installing them come
into play.
In the past two weeks, building security guards say they have been
warned by Abu Dhabi Municipality to abide by a rule stating there should
be no more than four dishes on a building’s roof, and those should not
be visible from the street.
Landlords, property managers and tenants have been told they have a
month to remove dishes or they will face fines.
Mohammed Abdulaziz, a security guard in Madinat Zayed who had a copy of
the municipality notice, said: “Already we have stopped allowing anybody
to install new dishes and asked tenants to remove them.
“The municipality inspectors told us to remove them in a month’s time
otherwise the landlord has to face hefty fines for breaking municipal
rules.”
The municipality’s decree limiting the number of dishes was issued in 2012.
The National visited buildings in Madinat Zayed, Khalidiya and Electra
Street and found that most buildings of between five and 10 storeys had
15 to 50 satellite dishes, many of which were visible from the street.
Warning notices were pasted at almost all of the older buildings,
calling on landlords, tenants and property management companies to
remove dishes.
The municipality also ordered them to remove the dishes from balconies,
windows, walls, roofs and domestic gardens.
It said cables should not be left hanging from buildings.
Mr Abdulaziz’s building has 20 flats, with more than 14 satellite dishes
installed and some left seemingly unused.
“For a year we have not allowed any new antennas, otherwise we have to
pay fines,” he said.
An Indian resident in Al Zahiyah said a removal warning had been pasted
in front of his building’s lift.
“I don’t think in one month the municipality is going to remove the den
of satellite dishes on almost all buildings,” said Rafique Khan.
“If the municipality strictly took action against all building owners,
immediately everybody would comply, but if they remain lenient in its
rules implementations, the situation would not change.”
Abu Dhabi Municipality could not confirm how many fines had been issued
since the ruling.
Ahmed Al Mazroui, director of external centres at the municipality, said
four satellite dishes, with central antenna systems, were enough to
service all apartments in a building.
“This enables occupants to dispense with having dozens of satellite
dishes randomly installed on rooftops,” Mr Al Mazroui said.
“It fulfils their need of the TV service and disposes of the large
number of unused satellite dishes on rooftops.”
Mr Al Mazroui said large numbers of dishes on rooftops or balconies
could be dangerous, as they blocked emergency workers and their equipment.
Landlords are taking action. Hameed, a building security guard in
Khalidiya, said: “My five-storey building has about 20 satellite dishes
and we have asked our tenants to remove them in a month.
“We have already removed some of them, which were left unattended, but
tenants don’t listen,” he said.
“We will remove them as we can’t pay fines for this.”
Shahedullah Rana, a Bangladeshi security guard at a residential building
on Electra Street, said the municipality had issued warnings for years.
“All the time, we ask our existing and new tenants to avoid installing
satellite dishes but some tenants ignore it,” he said.
However, he said the municipality seems more strict on enforcing the law
now, with inspectors telling him they will come back again after 20 days
to check for any violations. Mr Rana did not say how many dishes were on
his building’s roof.
The municipality and Etisalat refused to comment when contacted while
the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said on Thursday that the
matter was for Abu Dhabi Municipality and would not comment further.
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