A ban on development in the 'green belt' of Bahrain has been imposed with immediate effect in the Northern Governorate.

The decision was taken yesterday by the Northern Municipal Council, which is trying to protect what is left of green areas in the governorate and to encourage agriculture.

Councillors said they would take action against owners who deliberately let green land die, in order to seek development permits.

It is the first governorate in the country to impose such a ban.

The ban, which will cover 2,498.69 hectares, will be imposed on 473 plots, each of a minimum 1,500 square metres, across the governorate, in villages such as Hamala, Karranah, Malkiya, Demistan, Janusan and Sehla.

Northern Municipality director-general Abdulkarim Hassan praised the move, saying it was a step in the right direction to ensuring that the governorate keeps its rural identity.

But he said there were loopholes through which people could get round the rules.

'Development is robbing us of clean air and is destroying the environment. I believe that the council has taken the right choice in banning development on green plots of land,' he said.

'I disagree with councillors on their 1,500sqm criteria, considering that even those smaller in size also need protection and are more green than bigger ones included in the list.

'Today, the council should only approve the list and leave the criteria for us to determine, whenever someone applies for a development permit.'

Hassan said that the council's differentiation between active and non-active green plots would lead some to kill their plants and trees, just to get a building permit.

Active means that the land is being nurtured, with greenery, plants or crops being cared for and cultivated.

'There are some sick people who would deliberately kill their plants and trees just for us to allow them to get a permit, considering that the council's ban would be only effective on those plots being agriculturally active,' said Hassan.

'The council has left out some so-called dead plots, but nothing is dead these days with new technology, and I believe that even if a plantation is dead, the soil is still rich and can be utilised for new growth.

'Under council regulations, owners of those plots can be given permits to build only villa compounds, while signing an agreement to continue the plantation within a certain percentage, determined by the capacity of construction, which I believe is reasonable.'

Council chairman Yousif Al Boori said that owners of active green plots would be allowed to build on 30 per cent of their land, but this would have to be proven by need.

Exceptions

'Owners would be allowed to open veterinary surgeries, have warehouses where they can store their equipment and yield, or a small recreational room which they and their families can sit and enjoy,' he said.

'Other development will be totally banned on those plots, except if the government needs it for infrastructure and public projects.'

Al Boori said the council would be monitoring green land and would take action against owners who deliberately let it die.

Councillor Ali Mansoor said that two of the plots listed were already divided, which meant that their owners could build on them since they are smaller than 1,500sqm.

'It was inherited by the original owners' children and got divided a few days ago. Although it is rich in greenery, it doesn't fall under the regulation any more,' he said.

'We have to clearly say whether they would be allowed permits, or treated according to the originally listed plot.

'Other problems imposing the regulations may happen in future, considering that people die and others inherit their land.'

Council vice-chairman Ali Al Jabal said that the regulations would be imposed on the original map, but the council could study exceptions as individual cases.

'It is not complicated and even though the plots mentioned by Mansoor are divided now, that doesn't mean that they don't fall within the regulations, considering that we could always attribute them to the original owner,' he said. 'But, exceptions could be looked into as individual cases.'-TradeArabia News Service