Thursday, September 2, 2010

While another one has sewage problems

I am writing to highlight a major health problem at the beaches at Umm Suqeim.
For many weeks a storm pipe has been ‘dumping’ raw sewerage into the sea in and around the beaches at Umm Suqeim.
The Municipality has been notified on many occasions (and they ignored the problem) until early this week when they eventually closed the pipe.
At 21.00 hours last night they opened the pipe again and the filthy water is back flooding the beach, the sea and the surrounding area.
The sewage in and around the harbour and public beaches, the beach area in Umm Suqeim is a major health hazard to all people who swim or walk and relax on the beach.
For health and safety reasons, something must be done now to stop the destruction of Dubai’s beautiful, but now polluted beaches.
Alex Fisken
Dubai


Dubai has an image which it needs to maintain in order for it to continue to prosper in the world’s eye and amongst the people that visit and live here. I would just like to know how this image is affected by the fact that there is a sewage pipe in Jumeirah 2, next to Dubai Offshore Sailing Club and the public beach which is pumping out raw sewage. It is so bad that the colour of the water in the harbour and next to the entrance of the harbour is a stagnant brown, yet nothing has been done about it. The only other places that I have seen something like this are in third world countries, is that something Dubai wishes to aspire to? I think not! As a UAE National, I recognise how much the sea has had to play in our lives, and yet we treat it with utter disdain and lack of respect. Children swim in this sea and yet we are pumping biohazards into the same sea in which they swim in. This is an extremely serious matter and should be taken as such by the Dubai Municipality, Giardiasis, Amoebic dysentery, Cholera, Liver and Kidney Damage can all be attributed to sewage water. This is not to mention the marine life that is found, caught and eaten by people in the area...
I urge you to go down to the said harbour and beach and take a look for yourself and then pressure the necessary authorities to take serious action. If this means patrolling sewage dumping areas, where illegal dumping is occurring, 24 hours a day, then so be it. Isn’t prevention better than cure?
Yousef Bin Lahej
Dubai