Over 300 cleaners and 60 cleaning machines were deployed Monday by Jeddah Mayoralty to remove piles of urban waste from some districts in south Jeddah. Engineer Abdul Qadir Tankl, Deputy Mayor for Services, said the campaign was launched to clean south Jeddah, particularly Ghulail and Al-Mehjar Districts. The mayoralty has supplied these two districts with 200 new garbage containers. He said a major cause of the accumulation of waste was the narrow alleyways which cannot be accessed by garbage trucks. This has led to a situation where rotting waste is a threat to the health of residents. He said the mayoralty is monitoring the performance of the cleaning companies and has ordered them to remove the waste twice a day. The residents of the two districts have repeatedly reported the negligent cleaning companies to the mayoralty. It recently responded to their complaints and launched the cleaning campaigns which will continue for two more days. Ibrahim Al-Salmi, a resident in Ghulail, said: “The residents have lost patience because the district has turned into a breeding ground for all types of rodents and insects. This is why the district is suffering from dengue fever and other communicable diseases. The reason behind the mounds of garbage in the district is that the cleaners intentionally pile up the waste in certain areas.” Fahd Al-Qerni said one of the causes of the accumulation is that owners of restaurants and shops throw their rubbish in the middle of the streets and close to their shops. __
