Sidon-area river is 'a stinky swamp'
The Daily Star
Friday, June 22, 2007
By Mohammed Zaatari
Daily Star staff
SIDON: Official negligence has led to unprecedented levels of pollution in the Siniq River a few kilometers outside Sidon, area residents said Thursday. Even from its banks, the riverbed of the shallow waterway is almost completely obscured by murky water. Discarded furniture, wood, tires and all kinds of garbage, including industrial waste, can be seen floating on the surface.
Some residents said blood from a nearby slaughterhouse was also present.
"We are suffering from a total absence of cleaning operations," a woman who wished to be identified only as member of the Saad family told The Daily Star on Thursday.
"The river is turned into a stinky swamp, filling the area with diseases and insects," the angry woman added. "It's become a breeding ground for bugs and rats."
Umm Mohammad Qablawi, another resident of the Siniq area, also expressed disappointment about "the neglect of the river" despite repeated calls for a clean-up.
"No one cares about us," she said.
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