The municipality of Dubai has formed a patrol group, which will ensure that residents and visitors do not violate the integrity of numerous city lawns and flower beds. The patrol, consisting of 35 inspectors, is divided into two groups. One group is responsible for the Deira region, the second for Bar Dubai. Inspection of other areas of Dubai so far is not included in the plans of municipalities.
Inspectors are empowered not only to issue warnings, but also to issue fines: for damage to green spaces, flower beds and unauthorized picking flowers, residents and visitors of the city face a penalty of 500 dirhams (US $ 139). The fine may be higher if the damage caused will be assessed as large.
“Residents and guests of the city are very careless about green spaces: they don’t see anything shameful in walking through a flower bed, breaking flowers, or digging up seedlings in order to plant them at home. We put a lot of effort and incur large costs greening the city, so fines for violators seem necessary to us, "said Ahmad Abdul Karim, director of the Public Parks and Horticulture Department, Dubai Municipality.
According to Abdul Karim, last year alone, over 20 million flower seedlings were planted in Dubai's flower beds and more than 70 hectares of new areas were landscaped.
