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Dubai Beaches Contaminated Again

A section of public beach near a sailing club was closed yesterday to let inspectors find out what contaminated the water.

Beach users said the water was black and Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hassan, the head of marine environment and wildlife section at the municipality, confirmed that inspectors had noticed “decolourised” water in the area and closed the beach.

Water samples were collected from the stretch along the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club area. Test results will determine whether the beach can be reopened.

“We took fresh samples today and the results will be out in the coming days. This means that the stretch of the beach area will remain closed for at least the next two days,” Mr Hassan said.

The contaminant apparently was in discharges from a storm-water drainage pipe. Industrial waste dumped into the pipeline could be one of the causes, he said. The beach next to the sailing club was shut by municipal ­officials in September last year when sewage illegally dumped by tanker drivers into the city’s storm drains flowed into the sea…SOURCE

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Sun, sea and sewage

A few years ago the waters off Dubai were like a lovely warm bath. Swimming was a wonderful experience, at least for people who don’t enjoy having to break the ice before they dip a frozen toe in the dark and ominous English Channel. On Midsummer’s Day.

For some reason, the habit of going to the beach rather died away. Even the urging of bronzed beach-goddesses like Lola Lebcan didn’t raise its appeal. Maybe a sunset stroll to take photos of the Burj, once or twice a year. But no more sunbathing, and certainly no more swimming.

Perhaps it was the dredging for the Palms that ruined the oceans. Not just because it fouled up the water with sand and fine particles, but because it stopped them being an endless mystical stretch of water as far as the eye could see. Now the sea was just a sort of inlet or lake, a sad sandy pond. The real Gulf now started the other side of the World’s Biggest Man-Made Artificial Sand-Dredged Islands ™ all rights reserved to His Majesty’s Vision Inc ™.

Anyway we’ve had this latest story before, last year on the BBC in fact. But now The Times has picked up on the fact that Dubai isn’t quite the unspoilt virgin eco-Eden that Nakheel’s vast hordes of paid “ecologists” and assorted “environmental scientists” like to promote:

“A noxious tide of toilet paper, raw sewage and chemical waste has transformed Dubai’s most prestigious stretch of shoreline into a foul-smelling health hazard.

“A stretch of the exclusive Jumeirah Beach – a magnet for Western tourists and home to a string of hotels – has been closed. “It’s a cesspool. Our tests show too many E. coli to count. It’s like swimming in a toilet,” said Keith Mutch, the manager of the Offshore Sailing Club, which has posted warnings and been forced to cancel regattas. The pollution is a blow to Dubai’s reputation as an international holiday destination offering almost guaranteed sunshine and clear seas.”

The good news for Dubai is that the sort of tourists who flock in on cheap Emirates deals and hang around the Jumeirah Beach Hotel with their tattoos, guts and lycra on grim and sweaty display are probably not Times subscribers.

The bad news is that like everyone else in the world, they’re probably about to lose their jobs, homes and savings if they haven’t already. Meaning even a weekend in Weston-Super-Mud or Whitley Bay is going to be beyond the budget, let alone The Arabian Effluent Experience.

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Dubai Yacht Club and Surrounding Beaches Now Face Industrial Waste Pollution

You cannot have tourism with polluted beaches.  Dubai needs to to all means necessary to eliminate this immediately.

Almost three months after the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) was forced to suspend all operations due to the storm water drains sewage problem, the club is now facing another hazard — industrial waste — according to an official.

A senior official of the club said though the sewage flow had stopped, they were now dealing with what they believe was industrial waste coming into the beach area from the same storm water drains.

The official said that they had contacted the civic body which talked about the ongoing investigations, but things are yet to materialise.

DOSC authorities said though they wanted to clean up the waters, it was of no use as the flow of the waste was continuous.

“We can hire someone and clean up the area and the water. This will take in a lot of resources and finances. But then the flow is continuous. So unless, this new problem is not taken care of completely, our resources will go waste,” the official said.

“We believe these are industrial wastes coming in from the Al Quoz Industrial area through the storm water drains. This has been going on for almost a month on a very regular basis.

“Under such a situation, the beach cannot be opened. The Dubai Municipality has intimated about the same and they have assured us of proper investigations,” he said.

Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hasan, the Head of Marine Environment and Sanctuaries Unit at the DM said, “We are not sure of the fact that it is industrial waste. It could be rain water as well, The DM is presently looking into the matter and there will a proper investigation into this,” he said…SOURCE

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Travel Heads-Up For Desert Palm Resort,Dubai: It Stinks, Literally

Here is how the Desert Palm Resort describes itself:

Chic luxury emerges from a dramatic desert landscape.

Contrast. The vast sandscapes of the Arabian landscape versus the lush surrounds of green in an extensive polo property. The conventional opulence of Dubai luxury hotels versus signature Per Aquum chic subtly merged with the elegant forms of local architecture and design.

Set amidst green fields and palm trees, Desert Palm offers sensually designed accommodation – Arabia touched with the avant-garde…SOURCE

Well this is true, if avant-garde means the close proximity to Dubai’s smelliest spot.  The Al Aweer sewage plant sits in close proximity.  The National recently described the sewage plant this way:

Sewage tanker drivers admitted yesterday that some of them were dumping waste water illegally around Dubai to avoid queues of up to 18 hours at the city’s only treatment plant.

The problem of illegal dumping was highlighted at the weekend when the beach next to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club was closed because of sewage contamination. Dubai Municipality warned bathers not to use the beach for health reasons and promised swift action against the offending sewage operators.

However, tanker drivers told The National the problem would continue until the capacity of Al Aweer treatment plant was raised.

“It’s a nightmare for us doing this job. No one can blame a driver for getting frustrated and dumping the waste illegally,” said Omar Khan, who had spent 10 hours at the plant yesterday queuing to discharge his load.

The treatment plant sees nearly 10,000 sewage tankers lining up to empty their waste each day. With just over 40 sewage discharge pumps, drivers say they have to wait between 10 to 18 hours to dispose of one load.

“The line is getting longer with each passing day,” said Ayaz Mohammed, another driver. “The stations operate 24 hours a day but it is still not sufficient to meet the demand of the city.”

The drivers collect sewage water from labour camps in Sonapur, Al Quoz, Jebel Ali, Al Rashidiya and also from other locations in the city.

Desperate to empty their tankers, the drivers sometimes try to overtake each other as they jockey for position in line. This can lead to street fights and even serious accidents.

“These big truck try to overtake each other and in the process hit each other and have often almost run over people,” said another driver. Traffic fines of Dh500 (US$136) to Dh1,000 have not stopped them recklessly racing up to the plant. “It’s a dangerous place to be at night as people just violate rules to get to the stations,” he said.

Drivers said that those queuing up at night often got so tired of waiting they simply disposed of the waste at the side of the road and left.

“In the night, many just open the taps and let the waste flow on the road or the parking areas. This is why there is a strong stench in this area all the time,” a driver said…SOURCE

Traveling through the area tonight, the stench was so bad (in a sealed, air-conditioned car with environmental filtering) that I nearly vomited.  Not ewww it smells, but the smell that signals totally losing your lunch.

God bless the owners of the resort.  I feel for them.  I have only one thing to offer our readers, caveat emptor.

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