Page 237 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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THE MANAMAH MUNICIPALITY.
(From the report by Mr. MOHOMED Saleh Shattar, Secretary to the Manamah Municipal Council)

The year 1364, although it saw the end of the war, was a year of difficulty for the Manamah
Municipality. In spite of the increased subsidy from the Government and satisfactory revenue
collections it was difficult to make both ends meet. Wages in Manamah rose to a high level and many
municipal employees left their posts in order to work with labour contractors who were carrying out
large public works for the services. The work of town cleaning suffered in consequence owing to
constant threats by the municipal scavengers to " walk out " on the municipality. An increase in
their wages, which were already very high, would have necessitated further wage increases in many
o*ther directions. The municipal vehicles were in a bad state of repair and no new lorries were obtained
from abroad so it was impossible to have sufficient supplies of sand and oil for surfacing roads.

No road widening was done inside the bazaars as owing to the land boom the value of ground
property and buildings made the acquisition of land impossible. Plots of land in the centre of the
town changed hands at enormous prices, one site on a main road was sold for over thirty times the
price which it fetched some twelve years ago. Plans for new streets were postponed until conditions
became closer to normal.

In other parts of the town some improvements were made. Shaikh Isa road was widened by
demolishing a large part of three houses and a section of a walled garden, known as Hotat-Abool, on
the edge of the Manamah-Rafaa road, was cut in order to improve a blind corner.
In addition to municipal activities the staff of the Municipality dealt with the food rationing
in Manamah town and the distribution and sale of live-stock in Bahrain. During the year the munici­
pality took over 24,000 heads of cattle (sheep and goats) as a reserve for the months of the year when
no live-stock would be imported. Probably at no time before have so many sheep and goats grazed in
Bahrain where fortunately there was better grazing than in most years. Herds of many thousands of
animals were kept in the middle of the island and on the western coast until all the grazing was finished.
Unfortunately an epidemic attacked the goats and a large number were lost.
Much low-lying ground in the south part of the town, which is most thickly populated, which
used to become water-logged after rain, was raised by filling with sand on the top of town rubbish.
The usual municipal duties were carried out during the year including supervision of the
markets, disposal of carcases, provision of ice for sale, upkeep of the municipal garden and fire services.
At the time of issuing licenses for coffee shops all the persons employed in these places were required
to pass a medical examination and those found to be suffering from infectious diseases were forbidden
to work as coffee and tea sellers.

The properties of His Highness the Ruler in the town of Manamah continued under the super­
vision of the municipality and certain repairs were carried out by the municipality on behalf of His
Highness.

The municipality co-operated with the Medical Department in anti-malaria measures and
offending householders were severely dealt with when prosecuted in the courts.

The lack of cement and earthenware or metal drains has been responsible for bad drainage in
houses in some parts of the town. Drains from upper floors leading down to cess pits used to be made
of cement, iron or earthenware and all these materials have been unobtainable during the war.

The total revenue of the municipality for the year 1364 was Rs. 1,68,844 and the expenditure
Rs. 1,68,567.