GDN: Counting cost of Tubli Protection
MOVES to compulsorily purchase private land at Tubli Bay to protect the environment would cost around BD355 million, Shura Council members heard yesterday.
| Concerned URL | http://archives.gdnonline.com/NewsDetails.aspx?date=04/07/2015&storyid=104406 |
|---|---|
| Source | Gulf Daily News |
| Release date | 15/02/2015 |
| Contributor | Tamera Alhusseini |
| Geographical coverage | Bahrain, |
A proposed law to protect the bay originally stipulated that all the surrounding land should be government owned, to stop further reclamation.
The law was discussed in October but members decided then to refer it to the legal and legislative affairs committee for further review, based on government reservations about making it completely government-owned area.
The government stressed that an article stipulating that the government should own all land reclaimed in Tubli Bay, even if that meant compensating current owners, was something it found difficult to achieve.
Public utilities and environment affairs committee vice-chairman Abdulrahman Jawahery said compensation to buy the land off owners would total around BD355m.
This is why it was now being proposed to offer owners land elsewhere, even if it was yet to be reclaimed from the sea.
The council yesterday backed the proposed law, in its revised form and agreed to submit it to the Cabinet.
The law aims to put an end to increasing land reclamation, which is said to be having a negative impact on the environment.
The size of the Tubli Bay water area has decreased from 25 square km in the 1950s to 10 sq km today .
Council first vice-chairman Abdulrahman Jamsheer said that a lot of effort had been made by the public utilities and environment affairs committee to prepare the report.
"The modified law takes into consideration the points raised by the government and at the same time keeps the spirit of the original proposal in a blend that satisfies all," he said.
"Let the government carry whatever changes it wants to it, the main thing is that we have managed to come with a strong law to protect that remaining of the bay from disappearing."
Mr Jamsheer said the bay was one of the richest natural resources in the country and reclamation was threatening its existence and in turn the country's environment.
"The government has thankfully realised the importance of protecting this bay and are doing their best to protect, but that's not enough, as there should be an active law regulating reclamation in the area," he said.
"We are submitting it today and we hope it will see the light soon."
Council second vice-chairman Mansoor Bin Rajab said that the law in its current form was solid enough to be accepted by the government.
"The bay has seen a lot of sabotage in recent years and even if our proposal comes out late, after a lot of the bay has already been reclaimed for houses, that doesn't mean that it is too late for the government to accept our proposal," he said.
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