Dubai: Around 40 apartments have been left without running water since Tuesday morning in a building in Dubai’s Al Karama area, forcing some tenants to find an alternative place to stay or do without bathing, tenants complained.
According to them, the water supply in the Art Court building was disconnected without notice. An Indian tenant, who only identified himself as V.R., said he was told by officials the disruption followed “an unresolved issue” between the landlord and Dubai Municipality.
There was no answer at the number provided by the tenant as the landlord’s office landline. A municipality official reached by Gulf News over the phone did not give details and said that they would need more information to begin to look into the matter.
V.R. said he had spoken to officials at the landlord’s office, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Dubai Municipality but was not told the exact reason for the disconnection or its duration.
“Apparently, there is some unresolved issue but why should tenants be punished? Imagine the children who have to go to school unwashed. We can’t cook or clean. This is horrendous,” he added.
“Some people are staying in hotels and filling up water in buckets. Who’s going to pay for all this? I don’t understand why we [tenants] have been caught in the middle.”
Also, elevators in the “three of four storeys” in the building are reportedly not working and there is no electricity in common areas such as corridors following the development.
“There is no technical or bill payment issue I was told by Dewa when I called them. They turned off the water on request from the municipality, that’s what they told me and the watchman. When I called the municipality, they said the building owner has to solve the problem. I called the landlord’s office and they said there was ‘an issue’ but didn’t explain further,” the tenant added.
