Illegal horse stables and makeshift structures encroaching on public land east of Shakhoora are being cleared, with around 60 per cent already removed, according to a Northern Municipality inspector.
Municipal inspector Asma Nusf, speaking in a video, said the campaign has made significant progress in tackling unauthorised structures occupying public property.
However, the operation has also raised concerns over the fate of horses and other animals kept at the sites, amid residents’ complaints about foul smells, insects and rodents entering nearby homes.
Parliament’s public utilities and environment affairs committee chairman Hisham Al Awadhi said illegally constructed structures had to be removed from residential neighbourhoods, stressing the need to address complaints from affected residents. However, he questioned where the animals would be relocated and how their welfare would be protected once the stables were dismantled.
“People say there are foul smells, insects and rodents crawling into homes, and they have a point,” he said.
“The municipality needs to act in accordance with the law. But the animals’ whereabouts and how they will be safeguarded are matters that we need to know about, given that some horses are extremely expensive.”
Strategic Thinking Bloc spokesman MP Khalid Bu Onk pointed out that the removal of 60pc of the structures marks substantial progress, but the remaining work will require authorities to balance enforcement with practical arrangements for the animals.
“The case puts the spotlight on the wider issue of unauthorised structures in residential areas, where public land can become occupied without regard for neighbouring homes or the intended use of the property,” he said.
“The outstanding question is whether suitable alternative locations can be arranged for the horses and other animals as the clearance campaign continues – not just in the Northern Governorate but across Bahrain.”
Area councillor Tariq Al Farsani said stables needed to be removed to pave the way for a new road linking Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Highway with the area near St Christopher’s School in Saar, close to Road 13.
He said the animals at the site had been removed before demolition work began, although he did not know where they had been taken.
“I don’t know about the fate of the animals,” he said. “The occupiers were warned several times before action was taken.”
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