DUBAI // A sewage tanker that crashed and spilled its cargo on the road in Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) was “the final straw” for residents upset about the lack of a sewage disposal pipeline.
Many said they would move out from the area following the accident at 6am last Friday.
“We were all asleep and heard the bang,” said P T. “My husband flew out of bed, as we thought something had crashed into the house.
“Then we realised a truck had gone over. It had knocked the lamp post over and damaged the wall outside the house.”
Until recently, most streets in the area did not have names or signposts, so visitors and delivery drivers found it hard to find their way around.
The driver of the sewage tanker suffered minor injuries.
Residents said the vehicular flow and stench of 60 sewage tankers carrying waste from other communities to a dumping ground in Al Khail Road on the other side of JVT was too much to bear.
“The residents here have been complaining for a long time about the trucks travelling in and out of the estate 24 hours a day,” said David, a resident.
“Nakheel [the developer] told us they [sewage tankers] wouldn’t be running after a certain time but I see them at all hours through the night.
“Our main concern is that they are allowing these sewage trucks in and some are leaking.”
After the crash, about 40 workers helped to clear up the debris and wash away the sewage spillage.
Lorry drivers who speed were a common problem in the community, said David.
“Lorries are coming in from Jumeirah Park and drive on to the sand about 500 metres from Al Khail Road and empty the sewage there. It’s disgusting,” he said. “It’s going on 24 hours a day and those living near there have to live with the smell. People can’t open their windows because it is so bad.”
A Nakheel spokeswoman apologised for the inconvenience to residents: “This is a temporary issue which we are working to resolve through discussions with the RTA on securing an alternative route for the trucks,” she said.
“We are in the process of appointing a contractor to build a pipeline that will take sewage away from Jumeirah Park without the need for heavy goods vehicles in the future.”
She said the pipeline should be completed by next year.
nwebster@thenational.ae
