Thursday, Sep 03, 2009
Gulf News
Dubai: Environmental problems facing residents of International City will soon be solved as the phase one sewage treatment station in Jebel Ali started functioning few days ago, Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, told Gulf News on Tuesday.
Answering a question raised by Gulf News on when the residents of International City could enjoy fresh air, Lootah said the first phase of the sewage treatment plant in Jebel Ali, which was launched few days ago, will take any overload from the Al Aweer Treatment Plant and the plant will restore its efficiency in few months' time.
Lootah was speaking to reporters at a Ramadan Majlis at the Dubai Press Club. On a daily basis, he said, the Al Aweer Sewage Treatment Plant handles the load of around 3,000 tank trucks loaded with sewage from septic tanks in different parts of the city. The load of the 3,000 trucks was representing a great challenge for the plant, which was operating over its capacity.
Currently, septic tanks are cleared by tankers and emptied at the Al Aweer plant. The capacity of the plant is 260,000 cubic metres daily, but is having to cope with 460,000 cubic metres because of an increase in population.
This increase led to tankers waiting in long queues for more than 24 hours to get inside the plant. Frustrated drivers have started dumping sewage in the sea, creek, open areas and manholes.
"Sewage trucks will be transferred to the Jebel Ali plant soon to be treated in the new facilities, a move that is expected to relieve Al Aweer plant which will solely treat the sewage directed through the underground sewerage system from all parts of the city," Lootah said.
In addition to the Jebel Ali facilities, the civic body is working on a project under which worker accommodation located in Al Quoz, Al Qusais and Jebel Ali will be connected to sewage network lines.
"I believe, the situation in Al Aweer, which has badly affected the residents of the International City, will soon become normal and no foul odours will come from the plant," Lootah stressed.
The municipality will be able to divert 150,000 cubic metres of sewage for treatment to Jebel Ali. Once it is fully operational in April next year, the plant will be able to divert up to 250,000 cubic metres of sewage.
The treatment plant at Jebel Ali is being constructed at a cost of approximately Dh1 billion.
By Duraid Al Baik, Associate Editor
Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.
