The Ministry of Environment and Water and municipalities said 40 landfill sites across the Northern Emirates were used for household and industrial waste.
Reports in Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National, suggested that the landfills were a health hazard and bad for the environment. Waste burning had contributed to air pollution, as did the natural decomposition of organic substances in the lower layers of landfill. This led to emissions of highly inflammable methane, and a greenhouse gas effect 23 times than that of other gases.
Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Sharjah municipalities are seeking alternatives to traditional landfill, particularly near residential areas.
The public health department at Ajman said there was only one traditional landfill in the municipality and three in Ras Al Khaimah.
The public works and services department in Umm Al Quwain, said there were only two traditional landfills in the emirate. Fujairah had 11 in 2011, but reduced that number to eight last year.
Saeed Al Saridi, a resident of the Dhodna region, said: “The landfill is in the Rawl Dhodna area. There are times when a foul smell and smoke reach our homes, causing health problems for our families and particularly our children. We have been suffering from this for years.”
Dawi Al Teneiji, from Al Haniya, in Fujairah, called on the public health department in Ajman municipality to reconsider the landfill in the Manama area of Ajman adjacent to Al Haniya.
“It is a small landfill but highly harmful to public health and to the environment because of the smoke emissions,” he said.
Ali Al Yamahi, from Al Ghob, in Dibba Al Fujairah, said: “Dibba’s main landfill is causing many problems, especially when the wind carries smoke to the region, leading to the spread of asthma and allergies in children.”
Dr Rashed bin Fahd, Minister of Environment and Water, said the ministry planned to implement its first project for the safe disposal of hazardous waste by 2015. All 40 landfill sites in the Northern Emirates would be combined into a single plot as part of an ambitious waste-management plan to get rid of all traditional landfills.
“We do not burn waste in Ras Al Khaimah, we bury it,” said Ahmed Al Hammadi, director of the department of public works and services in Ras Al Khaimah. “Therefore, there are no fumes throughout Ras Al Khaimah.”
Musabbah bin Salooma, director general of the public works and services department in UAQ, said: “There are no modern landfills in Umm Al Quwain ... organic waste is sent to a fertiliser factory, while the rest is recycled on location. The remaining waste is buried.”
newsdesk@thenational.ae
