Page 387 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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The usual town cleaning work was carried out during the year which included repairs to public
latrines, removal of refuse which is used for reclaiming portions of the sea inside the sea road, construc­
tion of additional drains and spreading sand in the bazzar streets after rain.
The municipality undertook the work of constructing and roofing several long drains, at
government expense, connected with the anti-malaria measures and also built several drains at its
own expense.
The low-lying situation of Manamah town, most of which is only a few feet above sea-level,
renders it liable to flooding in the rainy season and the flood water is difficult to disperse. The drain­
age work which has been accomplished during the last two years has been of great benefit to the
town.
The municipality persevered in its attempts to beautify the town by planting trees along the
roads although owing to salty soil and the depredations of camels many of the trees fail to survive.
In addition to municipal work the municipality carried out several important works for the
government including the construction of the approaches to the Manamah-Muharraq bridge, digging
air raid shelters and carrying crude oil from the refiner}' for anti-malaria work. The municipal
authorities co-operated whole-heartedly with the state medical department in all anti-malaria measures.
Among the miscellaneous duties of the municipality were supervising the sale of meat and
vegetables, selling ice during the summer, burying paupers, maintaining the municipal lunatic asylum,
distributing food to the poor, and issuing permits for masons, hotel-keepers, barbers, etc., and taking
sl.eps to repair or remove dangerous buildings.
The majlis sat 16 times and the sub-committee met iS times, 14 cases were filed in various
coirts and 92 decisions were recorded in the minutes of the meetings.
THE MUHARRAQ MUNICIPALITY.
Revenue Rs. 51,065.
Expenditure .. Rs. 60,665.
Little important work was done by the Muharraq municipality during the year. The main
road from the pier through the bazaar to His Highness’s house was widened in places and a causeway
was bult at the back of the town across an inlet of the sea to the Abu Maher quarter. The munici­
pality carried out work on behalf of the government on the approaches to the Manamah-Muharraq
biidgc and widened the causeway on the Muharraq side, the other work of the municipality consisted
ol routine services.
The opening of the bridge has loosened a flow of motor traffic into Muharraq town which
denonstrates the need for wider streets inside the bazaar. The sea road extension to Busaiteen
whch was completed in 1360 has proved of great value and relieves the town from all traffic to other
pars of the island.
The Muharraq municipality lacks the energy and enterprise of the Manamah municipality,
admitedly its resources are less but it does not put them to the best use.
SHIA WAKF DEPARTMENT.
Te revenue collected during the year was Rs. 22,750. This amount was spent as usual on
the upket) of mosques and matams and in providing the various services for which the wakf properties
were dedicated.
App^ximately Rs. 5,000 was spent in repairing mosques and matams and in improving wakf
property, is. 10,500 was the cost of new property purchased by the department.
By degees the department is registering all wakf property in the Land Registration Depart­
ment. This hi entailed a certain amount of litigation in the Bahrain Court through which all applica­
tions for registrtion of titles to land have to pass. In some cases wakf claims have been rejected as
lacking sufficieniproof of their being wakf. In addition to registration of known wakfs the depart­
ment discovered proved in court several wakf properties which were previously unknown.