A Picture Says A Thousand Words

I love the Gulf Times, one of 3 local English dailies in the country beginning with Q. The compelling journalism and accompanying vivid images tell us so much.

Today's story is about construction work which is promised to be 'done' in 5 days. Look carefully at the photo, and then read the caption, and then let me know what you think of the 'effort' being shown.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=318735&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16


Jaidah works ‘done’ in 5 days



Work in progress at the Jaidah flyover yesterday. Picture: Jayaram


By Sarmad Qazi
The road works under the Jaidah flyover are expected to be completed in five days, an official said yesterday.
The busy junction leading to the Corniche and the densely-populated Musheireb area in one direction and to Ramada junction and the Salwa highway on the other was dug up towards the end of September for expansion work.
Once completed, the roundabout underneath the bridge will have traffic signals as part of eight proposed changes across Doha as suggested by the Traffic Congestion Committee in April.
“I can tell you that the work on (the) Jaidah (flyover) will be completed in five days,” Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) Transportation & Infrastructure Section head Khalifa Hassan Buhazzaa told Gulf Times yesterday.
With the completion of the work at the Jaidah flyover, work on removing the Musheireb roundabout (near The Centre) is expected to begin.
Those coming from the east and west directions to the roundabout will have to make u-turns once the proposal is implemented in an attempt to facilitate smooth flow to and from the Musheireb area.
The UPDA, along with Ashghal, the Traffic Department, Lakhwiya and Kahramaa form the committee which was established in January and proposed the changes in April that included lane expansions, addition of slip roads and installation of signals on some roundabouts after conducting technical studies and field surveys on traffic blockages on major intersections.
The committee said in its announcement at the time that the inconvenience to motorists would be mitigated by carrying out most of the work during the summer vacation and during the nights.
However, work on the proposed changes continues past summer and also during the weekdays.
“We at the UPDA are not responsible for plan implementation. We study and analyse transportation and can offer suggestions only.
“Ashghal, the responsible body, is usually swift in finishing projects. Some projects take more time than others,” Buhazzaa maintained.
Other committee-backed changes that have either been completed or are underway include a new roundabout on the Mesaimeer road, addition of a lane on the road leading from Al Rawabi signal to Ramada junction, widening of the Doha-Al Wakrah roundabout (Salah Al Jo) and the Abu Hamour roundabout, widening of roads and turning lanes between Al Asiri and Mamoura signals, and installation of signals on the Oneiza Roundabout, which was the first one to undergo expansion.

E-mail Speed of Light

E-mail is the technological wonder that allows people to communicate globally with the push of a button. E-mail is instant, free, and convenient.

Or is it?

Who would have thought that, at my workplace, an informal biweekly e-mail with a couple of graphics to highlight aspects of service would take over 6 weeks to send?

My co-worker the Mercenary Librarian describes this as a fiasco. But, much like other random tasks in the country whose name no one can pronounce correctly, the inevitable disaster is not a tragedy, but rather a farcical event to be laughed at over drinks.

Cooking ban hurts workers

This is in Dubai, but it gives you an idea of the conditions that the worker class lives in.
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Cooking ban hurts workers

Praveen Menon

DUBAI // Eating has become a struggle for many of the 7,000 men living and working at the Al Aweer Fruit and Vegetable Market in the days since Dubai Municipality began enforcing a ban on cooking in their living quarters.

One of the largest storage facilities in the emirate, with hundreds of cargo trucks arriving each day with fresh food stuff, Al Aweer also houses thousands of its workers.

The curb on cooking follows a fire earlier this month that burnt down several shops stocking onions and potatoes.

Although there were no casualties, tons of goods and 24 shops were destroyed in the blaze.

“This started last week when municipality officials instructed the security guards in our buildings not to allow gas cylinders into the building,” said Altasur Rahman, a worker who loads and unloads goods that arrive at market.

“The next day the officials checked every room and confiscated stoves and cylinders found in the room.”

The workers are mostly expatriates from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who earn Dh20 to Dh30 a day for loading and unloading cargo.

They rely on cooking for themselves, because it is cheaper.

The restrictions have left many queuing for food at the few restaurants in the area, with some reporting that their colleagues were running to get food parcels from delivery trucks and vans before they quickly sold out.

“This is the first time I am seeing anything like this happening,” Mr Rahman said. “There is no place to eat for us. We cannot afford to eat at restaurants every day.”

Amal Shehzad, another worker who lives at Al Aweer market, said there were further implications.

“Some people are diabetic and have to eat at home.

“Time is also a big problem as we cannot afford to spend an hour in a restaurant during lunchtime. We carry our food and get back to work once we eat.”

Dubai Municipality said yesterday that cooking was banned within the market premises for fire-safety reasons.

“There has always been a blanket ban on using gas cylinders for cooking in the market and its premises,” a spokesman said. “This is not a new rule.”

Shahjahan Haroon, a sales executive at City Home Foodstuff Trading, located in the market, said: “It’s a really bad situation, and thousands of people are affected by this.

“There are around 7,000 people who live in these accommodations. This is bound to reflect on their work because they can’t work without eating.” The sudden surge in the number of customers had also left restaurants and cafeterias short of food, workers said.

“I left home in the morning and could not have lunch as the food finished,” Mr Shehzad said.

“The restaurants are overcrowded, and only those who get there first are getting food.”