Residents upset over Abha landfill

ASIR – A number of residents living near a landfill in Abha are upset with the municipal authorities over their inaction to address the deteriorating living conditions. Residents say that the smell coming from the waste dumping area is becoming unbearable. They also pointed out that the location of the landfill is a major cause of a stalled restaurant project for over two years, as that the landfill is close to the proposed restaurant’s location. They said the landfill does not only pollute and damage the environment it has security implications too. The area near the landfill has turned into a meeting point of illegal workers and law violators. They called on the authorities to realize the importance of a quick solution to the situation by removing the landfill from its present location. “Almost every day I smell the odor,” resident Abdullah Asiri said. “I can’t open the window. I can’t stay in my front yard or backyard. It’s so bad.” Asiri said, “Offenders of different nationalities are using the space as their homes. They await waste carriers and dive into the waste to get wood, dry bread, hardware, and collect these things to sell them.” Saeed Al-Hassan called on the Asir Municipality to intervene quickly and transfer the landfill site to protect the people of Abha from danger and not let the situation getting worse. – SG