[wayneis]

Gtmash Emirates Today Reported about the smell last month in Feb and also this month Page 3 March 03rd 2007 Emirates Today Paper smell at International City and yes residents that live in International City have complained

ubai Municipality has promised to cleanse the air in and around International City and Al Warqa to rid the area of the pungent pong emanating from a nearby sewage treatment plant.

Emirates Today reported last month that several residents of China Town at the International City had complained about an unbearable smell from the treatment plant in Al Awir that gave them sleepless nights.

About 700 tonnes of sludge is generated each day following treatment of dirty water. The sludge is left uncovered, resulting in a foul smell.

By the end of the year, facilities will be created to either incinerate the sludge or treat it said Talib Abdul Karim Julfar, Director of the Drainage and Irrigation Department.

Officials have already drawn up detailed plans for a solution and are awaiting final approval from higher authorities. “We have received several complaints from residents and even construction workers in the area. Hopefully by the end of the year the problem will be resolved,” said Julfar.

The smell is usually worse at night but continues through the morning. Many residents said despite keeping the doors and windows closed, the odour would enter through the air-conditioning ducts.

Jamal Hashem is one of the residents who had complained to Dubai Municipality several times about the problem.

Following an investigation, the municipality team responded to Hashem’s complaint by stating there was no abnormal or different conditions than earlier periods in the area.

“The area of your accom modation is located adjacent to the Dubai Sewerage Treatment and Waste Processing Project and Waste Disposing Site II. The smell may exist sometimes depending on the prevailing conditions at that time,” the statement read.

But Julfar on Thursday told Emirates Today that the wind pattern in Dubai usually changes in the evenings when the humidity level becomes low, increasing the concentration of smell. “That is why people living in International City and Al Warqa experience bad odour in the evenings. It is not harmful to health.

However, we are trying our best to get rid of the problem. Apart from incinerating the sludge, we are also planning to divert a section of the inflow of sewerage water to the treatment plant in Jebel Ali,” he added. Residents hoped action would be taken at the earliest moment.