The Ministry of Municipality is committed to carrying out many initiatives, projects, and services that support humanitarian action, whether for the public dealing with the ministry, or the ministry’s staff, particularly the labor workers who represent the large segment of the ministry’s cadres within the framework of the strategic objectives of the ministry to promote societal engagement, raise the level of standard of living and life quality, as well as provide humanitarian, healthy and safe work environment for all.
In a statement to mark the World Humanitarian Day that coincides with Aug. 19 each year, the ministry highlighted the most prominent and flagship initiatives and services it has provided during the past periods and continues to provide in a variety of occasions, events, and activities.
The ministry outlined that it had inaugurated the first phase of the project of the integrated worker accommodation communities facilities in 2015 within Qatar’s plan to secure a permanent accommodation for workers that offers an appropriate environment for all service, health, social, religious and entertainment requirements based on the latest global standards and specifications, as the ministry has allocated the essential lands to seven sites of worker accommodation facilities at the state level.
In addition, the Ministry of Municipality has inaugurated a new building for worker accommodation in the Al Shamal Industrial Area which offers decent life for craftsmen and workers, as the building has been constructed and equipped based on safety standards as one of the new architectural models specifically designed to cover the overall health and subsistence needs of workers.
Within the framework of the ministry’s priority given to persons with disability, the ministry, represented by Public Parks Department, has allocated playgrounds for persons with disabilities in coordination with municipalities, the most prominent of which is Al Legtaifiya Park, where a playground designated area has been constructed to enable wheelchair users to use it, in addition to allocating comprehensive playground and sports equipment for persons with disabilities to enhance their societal integration.
Al Legtaifiya Park is a first-of-its-kind park in Qatar that offers facilitation for persons with disabilities, along with a chance for children from various age groups and abilities to play together. The Public Parks Department and in collaboration with two companies in the private sector has placed several Gym and workout equipment in two areas of Corniche, including some equipment dedicated to children and persons with disabilities to encourage them to practice sports exercises in addition to their integration with the public in the exercise of sports in public sites.
The Ministry of Municipality, represented by the Ministry’s Urban Planning Affairs Sector, gives high priority to persons with disabilities and their requirements within the framework of the comprehensive urban plan and planning products to fully absorb them in the plans for Qatar municipalities and its various cities to make them feel that they are part and parcel of the Qatari balanced and harmonized society, the statement added.
The Qatar National Development Framework (QNDF) adopts a set of strategies and policies that care for persons with disabilities, including the right of access to urban centers and buildings, the right of access to societal services with their various classifications, the right to appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities, special right to parking slots near to the buildings’ entrances and various utility sites, right to unfettered access to wander the streets and public places, as well as their right of access and movement around public and private buildings and service facilities.
At the constructional level, the building code accredited by the Ministry of Municipality, Qatar Society of Engineers, alongside relevant entities at the Ministry of Social Development and Family, has been prepared and includes public and private buildings’ compliance with the requirements of persons with disabilities in the community, where confirmation has been made to ensure the provision of the standards concerning entrances, walkways, and entry ramps, along with internal movement, building perimeter’s passages, vertical movement (elevators), standards related to toilets WC and their equipment.
This is in addition to equipping buildings with accessibility and disabled guide signs to facilitate the use of buildings, combining requirements of disabled people in phone booths, mailboxes, water coolers, ATMs, and others, and using sounds and lights to activate the remaining senses of persons with disabilities during their reaction with the building.
The Ministry of Municipality is also keen to protect all workers in various sectors, departments, and municipalities, as the General Cleanliness Department provided hand push cleaning carts with shades at the end of 2019 with appropriate designs and high technical specifications to protect cleaning workers from sun heat during summer and rainy seasons.
Al Wakrah Municipality has carried out an initiative to distribute sun-blocking umbrellas to the municipality’s workers on construction sites during summer to maintain their safety and protect them from risks of heat stroke and heat stress.
The municipality also distributed protection tools to workers during their fieldwork and kept delivering a wide range of awareness lectures and workshops in collaboration with numerous health institutions, charities, and voluntary associations.
Source: Qatar News Agency