MADINAH, 15 January 2008 — The Court of Grievances is currently examining a petition by 600 residents of Hamra Al-Assad against the Madinah Municipality, the regional office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment for not taking steps to stop serious the environmental pollution in their locality. The petitioners complained that the high level of water pollution has exposed them to ailments such as cancer and congenital deformities.
Hamra Assad, situated between Madinah and Abyar Ali, is close to the municipal garbage dump where toxic industrial wastes are deposited.
The court ordered the lawyers representing the plaintiffs to submit the evidence to prove the existence of pollution and its link to the health hazards claimed by the petitioners. The court had earlier examined the deposition made by the establishments and companies that reportedly caused the pollution, Al-Watan daily reported yesterday.
Local officials have publicly dismissed the existence of any kind of pollution in the region, but the local Municipal Council has disagreed with this claim.
It was reported earlier that a team of the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology noticed high levels of toxic substances in the waste at Hamra Al-Assad. It was also reported that large quantities of industrial waste containing arsenic, chromium and cadmium have been deposited at the waste dump there over the past 20 years.
The local residents said the waste fluids led to the formation of 80 small lakes and polluted the underground water, which was the source of drinking water and irrigation for the local residents.
The pollution is believed to be the cause of at least the deaths of 14 people besides affecting 20 others with crippling diseases. “I can produce plenty of evidence, such as medical reports and scientifically prepared studies, to prove that the pollution was at the root of several diseases including cancer and deformities in the region,” said Saud Al-Hujayli, a member of the Arab Federation of Lawyers.
The dump at Hamra Al-Assad has never been considered for biological or toxic waste, and it’s unclear if the dump has been used legally or not for such waste. Wind direction and proximity to residential areas are also reasons why the landfill was never supposed to be used for more dangerous types of waste. The surrounding aquifer is reportedly polluted.
The National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) has raised its concern over increased reports related to environmental hazards in the Madinah Region.
It sent a delegation to visit several factories in the Aqul district, another polluted location, to assess the extent of pollution in the district following the complaints of the local residents.
The delegation including Muhammad Al-Oufi and Abdul Aziz Al-Ahmadi said industrial waste has been disposed of in a dangerous manner.
The local residents also submitted copies of some reports and studies prepared by environmentalist and the Geological Survey indicating that the several wastes in the area could cause cancer to the people living in the close by districts.
The delegation members examined 21 factory workers and 14 local residents. They noticed that there was an increase of 62 percent in the chest diseases of workers while its rate in the local residents was 43 percent. The examination of the water sample collected from the area showed a very high level of pollution.
