By Hanadi Al-Malki

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Visitors arriving in Jeddah through its airport are shocked by the amount of environmental pollution in the Red Sea coastal city, especially the two northern districts of Al-Marwa and Al-Nuzha that they pass through on their way to the city center and other locations.

Aware of the problem, the residents of the city asked the concerned authorities to provide the two districts with basic services and to eliminate the causes of pollution.

They said a bad smell was emanating from the sewage treatment station, which is located close to the airport.

They also said the former industrial area in Al-Nuzha had become a dumping place for garbage, construction debris and abandoned cars.

The residents complained about numerous potholes and bumps that damaged their cars and asked for developing the two districts, which are the locations the visitors to the city, particularly those heading south including pilgrims traveling to Makkah, first set their eyes on.

Mufreh Al-Zahrani said their repeated requests to the municipality and to National Water Company (NWC) to take care of the two districts fell on deaf ears.

He said the two districts remained completely neglected, adding that the bad smell was annoying to the residents and visitors alike.

Zahrani asked the municipality and the NWC to shift the sewage treatment plant away from the airport and from populated areas.

Saeed Al-Jahlani blamed the municipality for the substandard services and said with the rainfall, the two districts became replete with swamps that are eroding the asphalt layers on the roads.

“The two neighborhoods should be urgently developed because they represent the face of the city,” he said.

Mohammed Al-Surahi said the previous industrial area had been made into a dumping place where wreckage of cars and construction debris were left haphazardly.

“The abandoned cars are being used by criminals for storing prohibited material. This should be stopped,” he said.

The municipality, on its part, admitted that the bad smell in the area was caused by the sewage treatment plant and said this was the responsibility of the NWC.

It said about 120 potholes on roads in the two districts had been filled and work was ongoing to remove garbage from Al-Nuzha.