A SR400,000 study by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) on the dangers of environmental pollution in the Kingdom will be reviewed by a four-party committee.

The study revealed that 41 percent of water was contaminated. Waste accounted for a third of total pollution, while sewage was responsible for 39 percent.

The study also found a 30 percent rate of contamination in health equipment and a 29 percent air pollution, in addition to varying degrees of pollution in the food, electricity and marine sectors.

The organization said it would submit the results of its study to higher authorities to hold various ministries accountable for the breaches.

The study recommended the importance of establishing a committee, headed by the NSHR and members of the Justice Ministry, to follow up on environmental issues and forming a special environmental police force.

The study also recommends sending representatives to sessions held at the General Authority for Environmental Protection at the General Food Commission, the Public Institution of Water Desalination, the Saudi Committee for Industrial Cities, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), the General Housing Authority and the Geological Survey Committee.

Recommendations also included the need to convert the committee into a specialized body and introduce sanctions and fines on major national companies guilty of producing too much pollution.

Sanctions include closure or fines.

According to the study, devices used in environmental surveys and monitoring should be exempt at the customs level in order to encourage private sector companies to import premium technology and introduce environmental impact assessment equipment for use during projects.

Ongoing projects should also be evaluated for environmental performance before being granted financial loans.

The study also highlighted the need to develop control mechanisms for the expansion of the urban boundary line, as well as the need to closely monitor and prevent environmental violations against plant and animal life and national resources.