Irate residents of Bahrat Al-Mujahideen in the outskirts of Jeddah are blaming authorities for the state of Wadi Katana which they say has been turned into a garbage tip. “The area is in an unbelievable state,” said Hamdan Al-Harbi. “It used to be a pleasant family recreational area that was very popular in spring, particularly given that there aren't many leisure areas in the vicinity. Now it's covered in rubbish and animal carcasses, and the stench is intolerable.” “The area has also started attracting people who come to salvage anything they can find from among the rubbish,” said Ibrahim Al-Qahtani, another local resident. “This is starting to scare locals, as some of the people who scavenge among the trash will do anything for money.” Mansour Al-Ghamdi, head of Umm Al-Silm municipality which belongs to the Jeddah governorate, said people were exploiting a lack of vigilance. “They come here at weekends to throw their rubbish away, Al-Ghamdi said. “We will be stepping up our vigilance of the zone and carry out cleaning operations, while we ask local residents to help us by informing of anyone who discards garbage here.”
