By Ayman Adly
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Animal welfare organisations should be established, especially for stray and abandoned animals, and due legislation formulated for their regulation, the Central Municipal Council (CMC) recommended yesterday at is biweekly session.
The CMC urged the Ministry of Environment (MoE) to provide temporary leased shelters to house and care for abandoned and stray animals until the proposed government project to build a permanent shelter is accomplished.
The ministry could allocate a limited number of land plots for the locals who are willing to take care of such animals according to the applicable legal and administrative procedures and standards, it was suggested.
The ministry could invite those interested in the issue to discuss with them the best ways to resolve related topics and moot a strategy for future joint co-operation. It should continue providing such individuals with veterinary support and guidance, besides supporting the Qatar Animal Welfare Society, the CMC said.
The CMC expressed hopes that the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning (MMUP) recognise the efforts of the Qatari citizen Sheikh Ali bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani in this respect and grant him a plot of land to expand his laudable efforts. Sheikh Ali has been sheltering animals and caring for them since 1995.
The MoE has a project to build a facility of around 3,000sq m at Umm Salal Mohamed to host stray and abandoned animals. The project is scheduled to start next month and to be completed by December 2015.
The CMC also reiterated its recommendations regarding manholes and other related drainage safety issues. The council asked the MMUP to study the possibility of creating a comprehensive and unified system for all infrastructure services and create or suggest a specific entity to manage co-ordination among the various related entities in the country. It should also study the possibility of putting all drainage infrastructure grids under the pavement rather than under the main road, taking into consideration the future needs of the residential areas to be
created.
The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) should replace the old and corroded manhole covers with new ones adopting a high level of safety standards. It should also perform regular maintenance and checkups to guarantee their safety for the public.
The competent authority should not grant a completion certificate to any building unless it abides by the safety regulations.
The issue of manholes was previously tackled by the CMC with similar recommendation and the council renewed these on account of the increasing complaints by residents of the risk of uncovered manholes. A six-year old Indian child was killed recently after he fell into an open manhole near the Central Market.
Regarding the risks of high level of underground water and its effect on the drainage system, the MoE was urged to monitor such levels regularly to avoid any potential damage for buildings.
