Councillors are calling for evacuation of abandoned government buildings in Isa Town and subsequent demolition and reconstruction following allegations that the mostly empty apartments have become hideouts for drug addicts and criminals.
The Southern Municipal Council yesterday sought urgent action following complaints from Isa Town residents, who claim that their neighbourhoods have become a hub for illicit activities.
Scores of citizens have registered their grievances at the council, the Southern Municipality and the Southern Governorate Police Directorate.
Housing and Urban Planning Minister Amna Al Romaihi last week told MPs that 1,643 out of 1,880 apartments across Bahrain were now empty with tenants moving out of the properties. She added that 116 out of 246 dilapidated apartment buildings have been evacuated.
Ms Al Romaihi further pointed out that the ministry cannot begin demolitions until all residents move to other properties.
She also allayed fears of an impending financial crisis for evicted tenants assuring that they would receive BD200 a month for two years as housing support after they leave the apartments.
Southern Governorate constituency one (northern Isa Town and Zayed Town) councillor Abdulla Daraj called for immediate action especially in Isa Town, where most of the run-down apartment buildings are located.
Mr Daraj
“We cannot allow a crumbling apartment building to remain just because one family or two are refusing to leave,” said Mr Daraj.
“The ministry should get an eviction order from the Public Prosecution, provide underprivileged families with temporary accommodation until they are back to their place, or get them a social home somewhere else,” he added.
“Empty apartments, with main entrances left open, have become a haven for drug addicts, a cosy place for love birds, and a safe zone for thieves to stash their stolen goods.
“We have received reports of windows and metal frames being stolen from these flats despite sealing them with wooden planks and cinder blocks. Even doors, I believe, have been removed and taken away.”
Mr Daraj stressed the need to raze down the buildings immediately, warning that more criminals could inhabit them posing a threat to families living in the surrounding areas.
“It just starts with one criminal, however, within days, many more could join the gang threatening public lives, it’s time for real action,” he said.
A call for a major facelift for Isa Town, which is the first government housing town in Bahrain, the Gulf and Arab region had gone out from the council last month.
The councillors also want the government to survey the town and come up with solutions to address overcrowding in several areas.
The oldest modern residential city has a population of approximately 100,000, which is around 6.3 per cent of Bahrain’s population of around 1.58 million.
Parliament in 2019 approved a proposal to preserve one of the properties from the first batch of dwellings distributed to families.
Former MPs wanted it turned into a national monument by furnishing it to reflect the bygone era and displaying everyday household items from the time, alongside currencies and other treasures from the 1960s and 1970s.
The government has shortlisted two homes, with one to be chosen for preservation, however, it again awaits allocation of funding.
The former Southern Municipal Council also voted earlier to overhaul Isa Town’s public library which is almost 40 years old. The ‘Isa Town Knowledge Resources Centre’ was set up in 1972 with residents of the town considering it a ‘landmark’.
The GDN reported in July 2018 that new bids for a major revamp of the landmark traditional Isa Town market, declared a national tourist destination in 2016, would be issued once technical details were sorted out.
However, the plan has been indefinitely suspended with the cost more than tripling from that originally intended.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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