JEDDAH: Residents living close to the Musk Lake dam in Jeddah have been assured that they are not in any danger.
Jeddah’s Deputy Mayor for Construction and Projects Ibrahim Kutubkhana has reiterated that the sewage lake is safe despite Tuesday’s rainfall. Kutubkhana’s appeal for calm comes despite growing fears from residents living in Al-Samer and Al-Rehab districts. Both are situated close to the lake in northeast Jeddah.
Kutubkhana added that the two sand dams are safe from any leakage. “Jeddah Municipality dispatched specialist field teams to inspect the water level and the dams on Wednesday. The lake’s level hadn’t increased from its initial level of 9.6 meters.”
However, some residents in the area are not convinced. “When the rain started to fall down some of my neighbors feared for their lives and left their homes,” said one. “I know of some people in the area who are thinking of selling their homes and leaving the area for good.”
“We are in constant fear of the day when this lake will burst out and its water floods our homes,” said 50-year-old Al-Samer resident Ali. “We hopeful that the municipality will find a permanent solution to this problem.”
As a precautionary measure, the municipality is planning to strengthen the sand wall between the smaller lakes near the main lake by increasing its width.
The lake became the main storage point for untreated sewage decades ago. It is estimated that it holds about 30 million cubic meters of waste.
Natural rocky embankments and a primary and secondary dam contain the lake. However, environmental engineers had previously pointed out that hazardous waste is seeping into the city’s rapidly depleting aquifer.
