Dubai: One of the most congested areas in Dubai is to get a crisp new look from Tuesday, under a massive clean-up campaign launched by the Dubai Municipality for a month. The campaign slogan reads 'Say Yes to Clean Naif'.
The Naif area, that still retains the old Dubai charm, will be a beehive of clean-up activities under which residents and shopkeepers will be given lessons on the importance of keeping their surroundings clean. The campaign will focus on combating dirty streets caused by 'paan (betel leaves)' chewers, buildings and basements, drying clothes outdoors and littering.
According to Local Order No 11 of 2003, the import, sale, and use of paan is banned because of its health risks and the fact that users frequently spit residue from their mouths. Trading in paan is therefore an offence and can result in a Dh5,000 fine.
Illegal trade
The chewing and spitting of paan, especially in public places, was prohibited in Dubai following Local Order No 28 of 1985. Paan is a small parcel of betel nut, tobacco and other ingredients wrapped in a betel leaf, popular among people from the Indian subcontinent. Despite a clamp down by the municipality, the paan trade still flourishes illegally in many lanes and by-lanes of Bur Dubai and Deira.
Similarly, a campaign was also initiated by the municipality in 2006 against in hanging clothes in the balcony and littering. Naif residents who spoke to Gulf News welcomed the clean-up project.
Iqbal Rizvi is a Pakistani resident who lives in shared accommodation along with three other roommates. He agreed that there is an urgent need to clean up the amount of filth and garbage that is littered on the streets. "I often come across people throwing their garbage near to the bin instead of inside the bin," said Rizvi. "One of the reasons the place gets so dirty is because it is quite congested."
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