Eviction leaves hundreds of workers on pavements
Manama : Hundreds of people were left out in the scorching summer heat without a place to go as they were asked by the authorities to vacate their apartments.
The situation arose after tenants at a building in Manama had to vacate their apartments yesterday, because of the government crackdown on dilapidated and unsafe buildings. Sources said that the building had to be vacated due to safety reasons.
“The building is in a dilapidated state and it was unsafe due to fire hazards,” a source said. The men spend most of the day outside the building, with their belongings left on pavements.
Majority of the tenants at the building were Bangladesh nationals. The rest were Indians and Pakistanis. The building has 7 floors and five to six expatriates lived together in each of the apartments.
“Five to six of us shared an apartment but we were content to stay. When we were given the notice to leave we did not know where to go,” said Ameen, a Bangladeshi tenant.
Reportedly the tenants began vacating the building premises in the morning as police officers arrived.
According to a source, the men did not heed to the notice given by the authorities.
“They were given prior notices but they neglected to find an alternative place to stay. Some did not even pay attention to the notice while some were not aware at all. Some said that they did not know what to do because they could not find another place to stay,” the source said.
“Many of the tenants, who did not knew about the notice to vacate, were at their workplaces. They only came to know about this when they returned from work in the evening,” the source said.
The tenants were seen gathered under their building for the whole day yesterday. Their belongings including air conditioners, refrigerators, bags and clothes were left out on the pavements.
“We are struggling because of having to leave in a jiffy, not only do we not know where to go but also to keep our belongings. We are concerned that our belongings could be stolen or damaged, Currently, we are yet to hear from our employers whether they have a solution for the problem,” said Mohammed, a Bangladesh national. “I have checked out with some of my friends for a place. I think this is the only option until our company finds a solution for us,” said Arun, an Indian tenant. At least 500 labourers lived in the building. When asked about the condition of the building, Arun agreed that it was in a bad shape.
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