Adhari could soon become Bahrain's first 'green town' with plans to build government houses, schools, a public park and bird and plant sanctuaries.

The Northern Municipal Council yesterday gave the Municipalities and Urban Planning Ministry the go-ahead to plan a 23,000 sqm 'greenbelt' area.

The ministries concerned will now draw up the necessary designs and budgets for projects there.

Councillors have also directed the ministry to buy six or seven plots of land in Adhari to have them included in the town's projects.

Municipal regulations prohibit construction of any kind in the area, but with councillors' approval work on government projects can go ahead.

Council vice-chairman and area councillor Sayed Ahmed Al Alawi said the council hoped to achieve Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 with a mixture of greenery and urbanisation.

'We have a vision to restore Adhari's identity not just by reviving it as a tourist and family recreational place, but as a proper town where greenery is a theme for urbanisation,' he said.

'Achieving our dream for a green town in Adhari is more possible than plans announced last year by the Manama Municipal Council to have another green town in nearby Zinj considering that BD160 million is needed to purchase private green land there.

'The ministry already owns 23,000 sqm of land in Adhari, which is most of the green land there, while just six or seven plots are privately owned, so planning government projects there is easier than what our colleagues in Manama wanted to achieve.'

Al Alawi said the ministry had already given the council's plans initial approval, but had to finalise details with the ministries concerned.

'The ministry will have to look into ways of swapping, selling or even giving land to the ministries concerned for a government housing project and schools,' he said.

'The urban projects will be carried on land, as proven by a report submitted by me to the council, can't have plantations anymore as the soil has dried up.

'Places where the trees are still alive, will be protected and revitalised and not touched as they will become the scenery for the projects to be located there.'-TradeArabia News Service