No construction work on holidays

MUSCAT, March 24  - To minimise noise and dust impacts on residential neighbourhoods, the Muscat Municipality has banned construction activities on Fridays and other official holidays. Amendments in the civic laws relating to building construction have been made by Mohsin bin Mohammed al Shaikh, Chairman, Muscat Municipality. According to the amendments made to different articles of Municipality Law 1992, without prior approvals, building owners or contractors are not allowed to carry out construction activities during the specified days. The amended laws also ban noise-related work during the time from sunset to sunrise.

“No construction works including demolition, building extension and excavation should be done on official holidays and Fridays in the residential neighbourhoods without prior permission,” states the amended law. Violators will face an administrative fine of RO 500 and abrupt stoppage of work, cautions the law. Residents in most parts of the city have been complaining about restless nights due to the sound of jackhammers and irritable noise from other heavy machinery used at construction sites.

The municipality, in the beginning of this year, had announced that steps were being taken to curb the construction activities that cause noise and air quality problems for citizens and residents. The new law also requires building owners and contractors to submit details including a map showing the boundaries of the plot and other specifications about the construction intended to be done. “There should be signage boards placed at the site with details of the construction work. And they should limit the works to the boundaries of the plot until the construction is complete”, adds the law.

The landowner or his representative shall fix the sign poles at a height of one meter on each side of the corner of the marked plot within the boundary limits. While welcoming the decision to ban the work in the night, Mubarak bin Nassar al Wahaibi, a retired teacher in Ruwi said that the municipality should take steps to ensure that the sound produced at the construction site is in normal decibel range. Similarly, he said, the fencing around the construction sites at many locations is extended on to the pavement. “This not only denies the pedestrians free passage but also leads to accidents as they spill on to the main thoroughfares, which have heavy traffic”, he said.