Satellite dishes are an eyesore, Abu Dhabi tells residents

Abu Dhabi - The municipality said it was keen to protect the "urban appearance of the city, preserve the environment and ensure safety standards".

Thousands of awareness messages have been sent out to residents and home owners in Abu Dhabi as part of a campaign to decongest rooftops. The drive seeks to rid rooftops and balconies of satellite dishes.
The Abu Dhabi Municipality said it has sent out 5,000 awareness text messages to community members, urging them to abide by the municipal law governing the installation of satellite dishes.
The remote awareness campaign called 'Together to reduce satellite dishes' targeted Mussafah and Mafraq industrial areas, Al Nouf and Hamim.
The municipality said it was keen to protect the "urban appearance of the city, preserve the environment and ensure safety standards".
The civic body said satellite dishes on balconies and rooftops have become an "eyesore".
"The practice undermines the safety of people and constitutes a breach of the permitted number of four central satellite dishes on a rooftop," said a municipal statement.
The practice hampers maintenance work on rooftops and emergency operations, it added.
Let your city breathe: Eyesores that are banned
According to the Municipal Decree No. (2) of 2012 with regard to preserving the overall appearance of the city, the following practices are considered as offences:
> Installing more than four satellite dishes on the rooftop of a building
> Installing satellite dishes on balconies in all types of buildings
> Installing satellite dishes on rooftop and garden walls
> Hanging connecting connection cables on building façade.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com 

• Abu Dhabi