When parking my car at a multi-level car park in Abu Dhabi,
I heard the sound of two sets of children playing nearby. One was from the
ground level where a group of children were playing football. Searching for the
other set, my eyes reached the top floor of a highrise building. I was shocked
to see that two windows of an apartment were left open and a set of children
were stretching themselves out and trying some tricks.
It was indeed shocking for me! They had clearly seen me
standing below and observing them for a long time. As if one group of children
seemed to have gotten the message, suddenly one of the windows shut and my
focus was now on the other one, where the remaining children continued their
activities.
I didn’t wait any longer and went ahead and alerted the
watchman of the building. He told me that he was helpless, as the children
never listened to him.
I was fearing three different types of dangers. First, the
window panels of such buildings are mostly easily accessible. What happens, if
the children or even if it is adults, slip and fall?
Second was the danger of the items kept on the window slab.
What happens, if one of the item falls down through the open window and someone
happens to be passing by or standing below at that crucial moment?
Third and not of least importance is the mischievous act
that many residents have had to experience. Some children throw water bottles
or cans or even plastic bags filled with water at pedestrians who are passing
by the building. A few days ago, my wife and I escaped such an act by a
whisker!
It doesn’t end there, these windows are used many a times by
residents to dry their laundry. The windows are left partially open and the
clothes act as an eyesore to a beautiful city image.
Authorities in the capital have asked for a mandatory lock
for windows on highrise buildings. I request authorities and building owners to
make a quick check and make sure that it is installed wherever it is not.
In addition, reputed organisations should cross check that
the apartments where the employees are living have all the required safety
equipment installed.
Let us all work together to put an effort to make safety a
core value that can never be ignored even for a moment. Let no accidents, or
even death, occur due to ignorance or carelessness.
The reader is a technical officer based in Abu Dhabi.
Be a community reporter. Tell us what is happening in your
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