No more advertising of pesticides in Sharjah

A spate of incidents involving chemical poisoning shed light on the availability of illegal pesticide in the UAE in general, and in the emirate of Sharjah in particular.

Last month the death of an 11-year-old girl shocked the public when it was discovered that pesticides released in a neighbouring apartment were the cause of death.

The incident was not the first in the emirate; two weeks earlier a similar fate struck another 11-year-old, while fatal incidents due to the exposure to pesticide toxins took place earlier this year in the emirates of Fujairah and Ajman.

Certain pesticides can be toxic and lead to death when inhaled. Nonetheless, these pesticides find their way to the public through unregistered companies or individuals.

Authorities in Sharjah have now cracked down on the distribution of pesticides.

Advertising

A decree issued by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has prohibited the advertisement of any kind of pesticide service in the emirate.

Unlicensed pesticide companies spread the word through posters or advertisements in public as well as private areas.

Residents of Sharjah have reported to be offered pesticide services within their building blocks, without available reference to the legality of the company.

As per municipality rules, 60 pesticide companies are currently registered to provide services in Sharjah.

A list of these companies is available upon request.

To avoid confusion, the distribution of posters and advertisements in public and private areas is not permitted.

Responsible individuals and companies will face fines issued by the municipality and the police are authorised upon deliberation of its effects to prosecute, explained different authorities involved.

Fines

When a breach of these rules causes death of a human being, it can bring Federal Law into play. The penalty of such crime is imprisonment for one-seven years, and/or a fine of around Dh10,000.

Trading, storing, possession, transportation, offering of prohibited pesticides leads to a penalty of not more than 6 months imprisonment plus a fine between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000.

Regulation

A company licensed by Sharjah Municipality has been permitted the use of certain pesticides, because they are familiar with the methods of use and its dangers on human life and the environment.

The municipality ensures by regular checks, that pesticide companies comply with standards and regulations, Sharjah Municipality stated.

A company applying for a license has to present an engineer who is associated to the pesticide company.

The engineer will have to run through tests and the company will receive the permit once the engineer shows successful test records, it further explained.

Apart from registered companies there is a list of all pesticides permitted for use registered with the Ministry of Environment and Water, in addition to those that are illegal, banned or restricted in use by the Ministry.

Restricted pesticides may be used with permission and under certain conditions.

Banned pesticides are with best efforts prevented from entering the country and may not be traded due to danger to health and the environment. Those banned pesticides often lead to poisoning, a source explained.

Who else is involved?

When chemical poisoning does occur, the proper response is immediate hospitalisation. The longer the patient waits, the higher the chance of fatality, said Dr Saqr Al Mualla at Qassimi Hospital.

Our team of professionals is frequently being updated on the cases and we are well prepared. In anyway, we would like to stress that it is very important for those being affected by pesticides to immediately call the paramedics and police."

Image from shutterstock

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