'Municipality' Unifies Rules for Demolishing Violations and Tightens Oversight to Prevent Recurrence

- Opening corridors and protecting road rights-of-way and substations... "Kuwait is more beautiful without encroachments"

- 7-meter rights-of-way for main substations and 4 meters for ordinary ones... and prohibition of plantings above sidewalks

- Warnings via "Sahl" and daily reports documented with photos, followed by site monitoring after removal

The Kuwait Municipality has advanced its "Kuwait is More Beautiful Without Encroachments" campaign to a more organized stage, by unifying removal procedures across governorates and tightening supervision of sites once work is completed. This step aims to prevent the recurrence of violations and ensure the sustainability of the campaign’s results.

Planning for Holiday and Seasonal Events

Engagement with Government Entities

Digital Journalism

Last Tuesday, the Municipality held an expanded meeting to monitor the activities of its branches in the governorates as part of the plan to remove encroachments on state property. The meeting addressed obstacles facing removal teams and mechanisms to resolve them, alongside unifying implementation standards and enhancing coordination among relevant sectors.

The meeting followed up on a coordination meeting chaired by the Director General of Kuwait Municipality and Chairperson of the Committee for Removing Encroachments on State Property, Engineer Manal Al-Asfour, on August 17. It was decided during that session to convene a meeting involving competent leaders in the governorates to monitor the implementation of the plan and unify procedures.

Deputy Directors General for Governorate Affairs and Municipal Services Sector, branch managers in the governorates, and representatives of removal teams participated in the meeting. Fieldwork procedures and violations related to private and model residential areas were reviewed, along with mechanisms for handling them in accordance with regulatory bylaws.

Opening Corridors and Protecting Roads

The meeting concluded with a set of recommendations, the foremost being the removal of structures erected on large areas within the boundaries of ornamental plantings, whether made of light materials or in any other form. Additionally, visible structures at the edges of ornamental plantings for plots facing highways and ring roads were to be removed.

The recommendations emphasized adherence to the boundaries of ornamental plantings and addressing encroachments in the vicinity of roads, public corridors, and electrical substations in accordance with applicable controls and regulations.

The meeting stressed that fences or unauthorized types of fencing are not permitted in planting areas, except for vegetative fencing within specified heights. It also prohibited the construction of structures or any exploitation via streets, with the exception of open-sided canopies that do not obstruct pedestrian traffic.

Traffic Visibility as a Priority

The recommendations prioritized safety elements and traffic visibility, stressing the prohibition of occupying sidewalks and pedestrian walkways, and maintaining clear visibility on streets surrounding plots.

It was also decided to enhance inspection teams by including a representative from the Engineering Supervision Department within each governorate. This provides technical support to removal teams and helps unify the application of procedures and standards during fieldwork.

Warnings and Follow-up

Regarding supervision, the meeting recommended activating daily follow-up of the campaign’s operations by providing the committee representative with reports supported by photographic evidence. This will help highlight the campaign’s results through social media and keep the public informed about the progress of work.

The meeting stressed placing warning notices in visible locations on the violating part, specifying the type of violation. Inspectors and monitors were mandated to document warnings and include them in the removal program.

Governorate branch managers were tasked with monitoring removal operations and submitting final reports on completed areas. The recommendations also obliged sanitation departments to provide the necessary equipment to removal teams in the required quantities and within specified deadlines to prevent delays in field operations.

“Sahel” Integrated into the Alert System

To enhance monitoring tools, the meeting recommended activating the Safety Department’s role in issuing alerts via the unified government electronic services application, “Sahel,” in parallel with measures to remove non-compliant structures. Violations should be documented in accordance with relevant regulations and bylaws in cases of non-compliance with removal orders, and periodic statistics should be prepared and submitted to the General Manager.

Attendees emphasized strengthening post-removal oversight through an emergency team established by decision of the General Manager, tasked with monitoring areas where removal operations have been completed and detecting any attempts to re-establish violations or encroachments.

Preventing Recurrence

The meeting reflected a shift in the current phase of the campaign, moving from isolated removal operations to an integrated system encompassing monitoring, alerts, documentation, and follow-up oversight.

The campaign, launched more than a month ago, aims to restore discipline in the use of state properties, address instances of exploitation and illegal construction, and preserve corridors, sidewalks, and spaces designated for services and ornamental landscaping. This approach supports improvements in the urban landscape, enhances public and traffic safety, and safeguards pedestrians’ right to use public facilities and spaces.