Abu Dhabi residents warned against building houses on farms without permits

Abu Dhabi - Constructing a house or any other structure without a permit is punishable by a fine of Dh5,000 to Dh50,000 or imprisonment.

Farmers in Abu Dhabi have been warned against building houses on their farm land, a violation that could get them fined or jailed. 
In a recent radio interview, a senior prosecutor at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) said recent investigations revealed that some agricultural land owners had constructed accommodations on their farms and had been renting them out to workers to generate extra income. This practice is illegal, he stressed.  
"All owners of agricultural lands should stick to using their land and other facilities only for their designated purposes. Building crowded houses at farms without permits poses a threat to workers' safety," said Counsellor Ahmed Eid Al Kaabi, senior prosecutor at the Public Prosecution in the ADJD. 
Al Kaabi noted that according to the local municipal law, constructing a house or any other structure without a permit is punishable by a fine of Dh5,000 to Dh50,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year, or both penalties. The makeshift structure should also be removed at the expense of the violator. The punishment is doubled in case the offender repeats the violation. 
The official added that there are also those who engage in other illegal activities, like selling their subsidised irrigation water to drivers of water tankers. 
Some farm owners and their workers had been making money off their irrigation water that is sponsored by the the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (Adafsa), Al Kaabi said. 
With this offence, violators could face a prison sentence of not less than three months and a fine of not less than Dh100,000, he added.  
"Farmers should abide by all laws. The authorities are monitoring their activities and those caught violating these laws will be penalised."
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Abu Dhabi