JEDDAH, 30 August — With huge piles of garbage remaining uncleared in Jeddah’s crowded residential districts six new cases of hepatitis have been reported from different parts of the city.
Director of Preventive Medicine at the Health Care Department Ghazi Al-Sheikh expressed concern at the worsening environmental pollution caused by mounting garbage all over the city. Al-Ghazi warned that diseases such as hepatitis spread fast in an unclean environment. He has directed all health centers to report to his office any new cases of the disease immediately, Al-Madinah reported yesterday.
Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, a hepatitis patient from Balad, currently in hospital, said his district is polluted by the piling of garbage. The pollution spreads to foodstuff, water and every uncovered food item in the crowded district, he added.
Meanwhile, Jeddah Mayor Abdullah Al-Muallemi acknowledged that the clean-up level in the city has worsened. “ It is bad, and not good as was reported misquoting me.”
The situation is embarrassing and I am holding morning and evening meetings to improve the situation. I have stopped the award of the third phase of the cleaning contract scheduled for Saturday,” Al-Bilad newspaper quoted Al-Muallemi as saying.
While the public complain about lack of quick remedial action from the authorities the municipality has given seven more days to the new cleaning contractor in which to complete the task. Al-Muallemi said on Wednesday that the cleaning contract for three remaining municipalities would not be assigned to the new contractor unless his company proved its capability to fulfill contractual obligations at the districts where it operated now. The mayor made this announcement after a meeting with the heads of municipality branches.
The mayor also wanted two reports daily from each branch head on the progress in the cleaning work in areas under their jurisdiction.
He instructed his subordinates to observe closely the cleaning work and ensure that it is done in a satisfactory manner.
The mayor also appealed to residents to ensure maximum cleanliness in their surroundings.
Steps are also being taken to end the practice of builders dumping waste at random at any empty site. He has instructed municipal authorities to provide power connections to new buildings only after owners prove that waste materials are deposited at the right garbage collection center.
