Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Officials of the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection and Jeddah Municipality met on Saturday to lay down a plan to solve the issues surrounding a lake in North Obhur that has allegedly become an environmental problem.

Head of Environmental Protection Khalil Al-Thaqafi and Jeddah Mayor Hani Abu Ras met in the presence of representatives from both sides at the authority›s headquarters in Jeddah.

The meeting discussed ways to address environmental problems caused by the so-called Fish Lake.

Environmental expert Dr. Abdulrahman Kamas proposed to have a system in place to track the growth algae in the lake as well as on the shores of Obhur.

“We also need to divert canals dumping sewage into our lakes. The practice is a major cause of pollution in the city and it threatens marine life. People living near the lakes such as the Arbaeen Lake suffer greatly due to the heavy pollution,” said Kamas.

Environmental expert Mohammad Felimban said, “The lakes of Jeddah are supposed to add to the city’s beauty and landscape. Having polluted lakes only makes the city look abhorrent.»

Moreover, pollution of lakes threatens the lives of people living near them, he said.

“Children who often roam around the lakes are in danger of getting in contact with poisonous substances and disease-spreading germs,” said Felimban.

Head of King Fahd Research Center for Marine Research at King Abdulaziz University and assistant professor of biology at the College of Science Dr. Futoon Al-Sayegh, who raised the alarm of the harmful algal bloom in the Fish Lake, said the algae found in the lake was of the genus of microcystis, which are highly poisonous. She said the lake water could cause breathing difficulties, vertigo and neurological problems for people coming near the lake.