The crackdown, during which several illegals were arrested, was launched on June 1 by the Abu Dhabi Municipality and the City Image Monitoring Authority.
According to a source in the municipality, the farm owners had built houses and rented them out to people.
“We were surprised to see several families living in houses built on agricultural lands,” said the source. “Initially, we thought that only farm workers were residing on the farms. Later, we realised that families, too, were living on the farms. Several illegals also were found to have taken shelter at the farms. They were arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution.”
During inspections, it was found that the farms lacked proper utility services and the farms were littered with human excreta. Kitchens and bathrooms, too, were unfit for human use, the source added.
The City Image Monitoring Authority issued warnings to the owners of the farms. While some of the farm owners heeded the warning and demolished the unauthorised structures, a large number of landlords chose to ignore the warning.
Those who ignored the warnings were later referred to the Municipal Court for necessary action.
adel@khaleejtimes.com