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Bahrain government may seize private property during crisis
The government in Bahrain will soon be able to confiscate private property in the event of a national disaster.
A draft law is now under review, which would permit authorities to seize any necessary equipment that will help in coping up during an emergency.
The law builds on an existing decree from 1990 which grants special powers to the Civil Defence Directorate in the event of war.
The government will then compensate the organization or individual whose property is seized during a disaster.
The Head at the Executive Office of National Committee for Disaster Management, Ahmed Hussain, said the new law implies that during a disaster situation, the government has the right to take anything that it requires from a company or organization and pay them later.
Sometimes they may need their facilities without raising the alarm to the level of state emergency, such as during the event of a major fire. The current decree grants wartime powers to the Civil Defence personnel to safeguard civilians, secure the safety of transport and protect buildings, institutions and public projects, Hussain said.
The new law is one of the several initiatives taken by the government to safeguard Bahrain against disaster.
Last year a decree was signed to revitalize the Civil Defence Council, a ministerial body responsible for supporting disaster reduction and management. In the meanwhile, the National Committee for Disaster Management, an adviser to the council, is also working on a National Emergency Plan, which is due to be submitted to the government by end of the year.
Established in 2006, the National Committee is also co-ordinating national risk assessment for Bahrain, as the body responsible for managing disaster issues and co-ordinating the efforts by companies, ministries and organizations. It also reviews plans and procedures in the event of a disaster and the legal instruments required to ensure that these systems can go ahead.
The committee set out a roadmap for 2008 to 2010, contacting all companies and ministries and organizations in Bahrain, and instructing them to allocate a safety manager so as to co-ordinate with the committee in the event of a disaster.
Apart from this, a National Risk Register was established in 2008 to identify all potential threats and hazards faced by Bahrain, such as labour camp fires, pandemic flu, nuclear leaks and major oil spills from neighbouring countries.
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