Residue from paan spit leaves a fine mess
Abu Dhabi fined 180 people last year for offence
Shakoor Mohammed’s stomach turns each time he sees someone chewing paan leaves and spitting sticky brown and red residue on the ground.
Unfortunately for the Pakistani, it is an all too common sight in his neighbourhood close to Electra Street, especially on Thursdays and Fridays when large numbers of labourers travel into the city from camps and accommodation on the outskirts. “They buy paan masala and gutka [ chewing tobacco] and spit in most corners of buildings,” Mr Mohammed said. “The continued spitting makes a place smell foul and the area unhygienic.”
In the busy neighbourhoods around Electra and Hamdan streets, brown and red stains from paan were visible in corners, building entrances and alleyways. Mr Mohammed urged the authorities to take tough action against people who spit paan or anything else in public.
Last year, Abu Dhabi Municipality fined 180 people up to Dh1,000 for spitting, while 352 were ticketed for dropping cigarette butts.
Chewing betel and paan leaves is considered a tradition in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, where it is offered to guests after meals.
“Mostly all Bangladeshis chew it as it’s very popular among them,” said Najmul Huda who was chewing on a bag of paan. He never spits on buildings or walls, he said.
“I spit in bins and I don’t deface corners of buildings.” Madan Gupta said people could easily become addicted.
“Workers are so addicted to it that they can’t abandon it. They should lead a healthy lifestyle since they are here in the UAE and exercise cleanliness,” said the Indian.
“It doesn’t look good whether it happens here in Abu Dhabi or in India. It must stop.” Despite a crackdown by the municipality, shops still sell the banned betel leaves.
An Electra Street shopkeeper said municipality officials issued hefty fines if they were caught selling paan. His customers also faced fines for buying it, so it is kept out of sight. A municipality spokesman said spitting on the streets was in breach of the health and hygiene rules.
“It’s not only restricted to spitting betel leaves and neswar [tobacco] but all kinds of spitting,” he said.
Fines for anyone caught spitting in public were increased from Dh200 to Dh1,000 in 2015.