Work on a controversial new telecom tower at a luxury residential development in Bahrain has been halted after it emerged local authorities had not granted permission for the project to go ahead.

It follows a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication yesterday (June 16) about Mohammed Ali Harazy, 62, from Saudi Arabia, who was staging a one-man sit-in to stop the mast being erected outside his home at Riffa Views.

Southern Municipality officials who visited the site yesterday ordered work to be halted and left a notice stating that it had commenced without required approval.

“The client must report back to the Southern Municipality before resuming digging, as they have not obtained the permission to dig nor to erect the tower in the area,” stated the notice.

Inspectors left the notice on a table that Harazy had set up yesterday on the site where excavation work had been taking place.

Harazy began his sit-in on Monday, braving 38 deg C temperatures as he refused to move from the site for the telecom tower in the East Lagoon area of Riffa Views.

Southern Municipality inspectors arrived at around 9.30 am.

“They came and showed us the copy of the notice, which they pasted on the table,” he told the GDN.

He remained near the site along with five other homeowners after the inspectors left to ensure work did not resume.

“Our lawyer had sent a legal notice to management requesting the work to be halted until they met with residents, despite which they continued the work,” he said.

However, he added that no workmen showed up.

Harazy, who has owned a property at Riffa Views for the past five years and lives with his wife and five daughters, opposed the new telecom tower due to fears about potential health risks.

It emerged on Monday that the tower was one of six being erected at Riffa Views, after permission was sought from the Supreme Council for Environment, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and an external agent.

The GDN reported yesterday that a representative of the Riffa Views Home Owners Association supported the work going ahead and played down health concerns.

“The representative of the association who ruled out health risks can say that because the tower is not anywhere near his home,” said one homeowner on condition of anonymity.

“There was a similar move in the Oasis area, which residents objected to and signed a petition and the work was stopped.

“We are demanding the same.”  

However, association safety and security representative Fahad Taqi said yesterday that he had a copy of a letter from the now-dissolved Central Municipality, which stated the TRA was the authority responsible for granting permission for such projects.

Residents last week filed a police complaint against plans to build the tower, with 30 villa owners also signing a petition to halt work and lodging an official complaint with the TRA.

The proposed location was then moved a short distance following the objections.

Southern Municipality officials could not be reached for comment. - TradeArabia News Service