Many people in Dubai and Sharjah who reside in areas that are still flooded said they didn’t plan to renew their tenancy contract upon expiry.
They revealed their plans to relocate to other neighbourhoods which were less flooded.
Residents of some areas were struggling to return to their normal lives as streets were still flooded even six days after the rains on Tuesday, April 16. Areas in Al Majaz, Jamal Abdul Nasir, Al Wahda, Mudon, Warsan, Discovery Gardens and a few others were still flooded on Sunday evening and many tenants were forced out of the buildings as power and water were yet to be restored.
These areas of the two emirates were flooded in March this year also after heavy rains.
As a result, residents have decided not to renew their existing contracts and are considering moving to areas that will not be flooded even after five days of rain.
A Syrian SS guard who has lived in Discovery Gardens for nine years said people had to wade through water to buy food.
“I saw a few tankers pumping out water in Al Furjan, but I didn’t see any tankers on the main street here. Lines 1 to 5 are completely submerged. , you’ll probably be leaving the area, but 8th Avenue to 11th Avenue is in slightly better condition. Water is coming into my house. If I find a better option in another area, I will definitely go,” said SS.
Priya Prasanna, who has lived in Abu Shagara for nine years, said she recently renewed her lease but cannot renew it once it is completed. Ta.
“Given the current state of the building and the surrounding area, we have to make the decision to move out. When the time comes to renew our contract next year, we will move out,” Prasanna said. Prasanna lives in a building on Al Etiskral Street, and the water level was still knee-high on Sunday.
“I’m currently living in a hotel with my family. There is no water in the building and the lights go on and off. So I want to go home on Monday, so I bought water in advance. “I go to the nearby mosque to buy drinking water. I sometimes use my cell phone as a flashlight to go up and down. The rainwater has subsided a little in the basement of the building, but it’s still flooded.” said Prasanna, who lives on the third floor of , which is quite a challenge considering her size.
“These are very difficult times for us. My parents back home in India are not feeling well and we cannot travel at the moment,” said Faisal Ahmad, an Indian resident of Warsan 1. He said the area was still there six days later. The rain was still rising.
“Buildings are inaccessible and cars are submerged. We had to use makeshift boats to evacuate families and children. Despite several messages from us… However, the owner of the house never showed up. Only a few families still live in the building, and most have moved out. We had to rescue a family with a one-month-old child,” he said. Mr. Ahmed also said that he would look for an alternative location after the lease expires.
“Because we saw what happened in this entire area we realised there was a problem with the sewerage pipeline. This made water flowing to our areas from the neighbourhoods and that made things worse.”
Ahmed said the priority is to find a temporary alternative accommodation for himself as the building is not fit to live in as there is no electricity and water.
Abu Ayat, an Al Majaz resident, also echoed the same thoughts. “I’ll most likely move out to one of the areas which don’t get flooded. This is the second time this year that areas saw massive flooding. The situation was equally terrible in March this year when rains hit,” he said, who has been residing in the area for over a decade.