Being grateful for BARWA housing

This is a recent post on The Gulf Times website. Please read this through and consider how many people would love to live in nice housing, with cheap rent and all of the amenities that the BARWA housing has planned for it's fortunate residents. Don't you think a little patience and gratefulness is needed here? BARWA could have halted the move in and let the residents keep paying high rent elsewhere if they minded driving a bit to the supermarket. Maybe with a bit of planning somebody could pick up the milk on the way home? I am sure all of the workers living in labor camps wouldn't mind to do so. Please people learn to look at those who have less than you and be grateful for what you've been given before it's gone.

Nearest grocery 8km for Barwa complex tenants
Delay in the construction of a supermarket at the Barwa residential complex in Mesaimeer is causing inconvenience to the tenants

By Sarmad Qazi/Staff Reporter

The partially closed Abu Hamour roundabout has blocked the direct access to the main road for the residents of Barwa’s Mesaimeer housing project. Picture: Jayaram

Close to a thousand residents of the Barwa Housing Programme’s first residential project in Mesaimeer say they face a real dilemma and inconvenience since just to get milk they have to drive for 8-10km.

The low-cost housing programme initiated by the Barwa Real Estate Company to free up the housing crisis in Qatar, offered residents two- and three- bedroom units through 31 buildings on a 200,000sqm plot in Mesaimeer since March 1 when the keys were handed over to tenants screened earlier through computer balloting.

“Since moving in we have not been able to access the neighbourhood grocery as it is still not open,” resident of a 3-bedroom apartment, a Qatari national, told Gulf Times.

“We had been driving to the nearest gas station for emergency domestic errands until recently when the road work on the Abu Hamour Roundabout began, closing direct access to the main road,” he added.

The project was supposed to be equipped with facilities such as green areas and children’s playground in addition to a clubhouse, gym, rooms for games, multi-purpose hall, basketball court, tennis court, swimming pool, retail shops and six-room nursery schools – all promised by the landlord.

Although the residents say most of the promised facilities are functional - except the swimming pool which has been filled with water but no one has been able to use it thus far - the supermarket is not yet ready.

“The building that was earmarked for the supermarket has been deserted from day one. The landlord must realise that around 900 families with children and infants face real inconvenience because of the lack of a grocery shop,” another resident of a two-bedroom flat said.

“There could be an unforeseen emergency anytime,” he added.

Ashghal, the Public Works Authority, started expanding the Abu Hamour Roundabout last month as part of its eight road projects across Doha during the summer aimed at reconfiguring the lanes and streamlining the traffic.

The Abu Hamour Roundabout was partly closed from August 29 until September 12 (Saturday) for the final phase of work.

Motorists travelling from Obaidali Roundabout toward the Industrial Area are being diverted to a temporary two-lane road in the southern part of the roundabout.

According to Ashghal, Barwa residential complex road users who are heading towards Doha can use the service road.

Those who are coming from the Industrial Area to the Barwa Housing project can use the service road.

Some Barwa Mesaimeer residents also called on the landlord to install shades for close to a thousand car parking provided by it in the complex.