Al-Oyoun residents: Save our cemeteries
Published: Sep 8, 2010 01:15 Updated: Sep 8, 2010 01:15
AL-HASSA: For several years, the residents of Al-Oyoun have been waiting for the day when the regional governorate and municipal authorities wake up and act on long-standing demands to solve problems of graveyards in the region.
There are at least half a dozen cemeteries in Al-Oyoun that are in a poor condition mainly due to total neglect by the authorities concerned. They have become havens for stray dogs and wild animals. Some of these cemeteries are partly concealed in heaps of sand, according to a report carried by Al-Yaum Arabic daily.
Speaking to the newspaper, a number of citizens in the city have expressed outrage at the apathy of the authorities in not carrying out proper maintenance of the cemeteries. They pointed out that only two cemeteries — those at Al-Naharish and Taleela — are now being used. Of these, Al-Naharish has almost been filled.
Saud Al-Awad, a resident, said that Taleela was one of the oldest ones in the city. “It dates back 150 years. Walls were constructed around the cemetery only once over the past 30 years,” he said.
Similar is the case with the other cemetery, says Saud Al-Eisa, another resident. “There is no wall around the graveyard. Neither are there any gates or gatekeepers. Stray dogs and animals are roaming frequently inside the facility,” he said. Saud Al-Eisa urged the authorities to make an urgent intervention to save the cemetery from total destruction and end the tendency of showing utter disregard to the dead.
“A comprehensive study should be carried out prior to renovation of the cemetery and it should be protected with construction of walls and employing security guards,” he said.
Hassan Al-Hussein noted that there are pits adjacent to many graves, created supposedly by stray dogs or reptiles. Flash flood water passages are also playing havoc with these graves.
Ali Al-Gharib, another citizen, urged urgent intervention by the authorities to reconstruct walls around the graveyard and appoint security guards. For his part, Saleh Al-Fajri said that a comprehensive study to be carried out to safeguard the sanctity of these graveyards. Abu Abdurahman, another resident, said that it was highly disturbing that some of these cemeteries, including Taleela, have become dumping areas for garbage and construction waste.
“This is an insult to those buried in the cemeteries. There should be urgent steps to stop this and safeguard the cemetery,” he said.
Another citizen told the newspaper that the affluent people of Al-Oyoun, especially businessmen, should make an urgent intervention to protect these cemeteries in case the municipality and governorate authorities are continuing their inaction. “There has been no initiative on the part of the authorities to construct new graveyards. In such a scenario, the residents of Al-Oyoun would have no option other than taking bodies of their loved ones to graveyards outside the city in Abqaiq or Mubarraz,” he said.
A number of people in Al-Oyoun have renewed their calls to the authorities concerned to take urgent steps to redress their grievances. They urged Eng. Fahd Al-Jubair, mayor of Al-Hassa, to make an inspection tour of these graveyards to see their poor conditions and take urgent measures to improve conditions. They also called for construction of a new graveyard in the city. “All the necessary facilities, such as lighting, water supply, and walls in addition to security guards should be made available,” they said.
Meanwhile, Eng. Ahmad Al-Maayuyed, a municipality official, said that the municipality would take steps to solve the problems of Taleela cemetery after completion of studies in this respect.
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MOHAMMED FROM SL GALLE
Sep 12, 2010 16:54
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