SEWA fines, warns 2,750 residents over violations

Sharjah - Owners of buildings who fail to maintain their water tanks properly have been issued fines of up to Dh10, 000.

 The Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) has fined and warned 2,750 residents and firms for various violations, such as wastage of water, maintaining illegal electrical connection and failing to use capacitors in commercial and industrial buildings to reduce overload of power.
A senior Sewa official said that the inspectors also fined residents who failed to maintain safety procedures to prevent fire caused by short circuits.
The Sewa has launched an inspection campaign which mainly targets entities that consume huge quantity of water, such as factories, car wash facilities, laundries and gardens. However, close watch is also being kept on the storage methods of the domestic consumers.
Owners of buildings who fail to maintain their water tanks properly have been issued fines of up to Dh10, 000. Those who found making unauthorised connections were issued fines ranging from Dh2,000 to Dh5,000. The Sewa also issued warnings to many landlords to stop using unauthorised water and power connections. The authority also imposed a fine of Dh150 on those who were found wasting water. The fine will be doubled if they are found repeating the offence and the business will face closure if caught for a third time.
Dr Rashid Al Leem, Chairman of Sewa, said that the authority has intensified its campaign to curb such violations which cause a lot of water wastage and power overloading. "The Sewa make great efforts to spread awareness on water and power conservation. The authority has cooperation mechanisms with all government departments and other institutions to spread awareness among residents.
- afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah