JEDDAH: Sewage truck drivers in Jeddah are being targeted by stone-throwing locals of Al-Khomra district, the location of the new sewage-dumping site.
“Some residents attacked our drivers and pelted our trucks with stones and other objects,” said sewage truck driver Ibrahim.
“They were angry at us for dumping the water in their area, we didn’t do any wrong. We did what we were told by the municipality.”
The municipality began using the new site following the Nov. 25 flash flooding that reignited the issue of Musk Lake, the sewage dumpsite located just east of the city that is held back by a series of dams that if breached would flood large portions of the city in raw sewage, creating a massive environmental catastrophe.
But locals around the new site are apparently unhappy about the change. Drivers also say the new site isn’t fully ready to receive the trucks.
“We were told by the municipality not to dump water into the sewage lake,” said Ibrahim. “However the alternative dumping area they told us about is not fully configured to take our loads.”
Meanwhile, some residents at the areas most affected by the flash flooding are claiming that sewage truck drivers have hiked prices.
Ahmed Al-Ghamdi head of the public relations at the Jeddah municipality said officials are monitoring these complaints and that the municipality had created a committee to oversee the situation.
