Dubai Municipality to destroy ivory seized from smugglers

DUBAI // Six tonnes of ivory seized from smugglers is to be destroyed.

The Environment Department at Dubai Municipality handed over the ivory, which included polished and rough tusks, bracelets and powder, to the Ministry of Environment and Water.

Alyaa Al Harmoudi, director of the department, said that the ivory, confiscated by the inspectors during their routine inspections, was taken from African elephants, which are listed in the first addendum of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which the UAE joined in 1990.

She said the Waste Management Department at Dubai Municipality suggested a new way to dispose of the ivory by grinding it into small pieces.

Ms Al Harmodi said that the Municipality works to combat the illegal trafficking of endangered species, as well punishing violators.

newsdesk@thenational.ae

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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.