27 tanker firms fined for raw sewage dumping

Twenty-seven tankers involved in dumping raw sewage in the open and into the storm water network have been fined 50,000 dirhams ($13,000) each this month.

Abdul Majid Sifaee, director of the Drainage Network Department at the Dubai Municipality, said that apart from the fines, the cost of cleaning and flushing out the storm water lines would also have to be borne by the companies whose tankers were involved in this dangerous practice.

The only sewage treatment plant at Al Awir witnesses a long queue of tankers each day waiting to dump the sewage, reported UAE daily Khaleej Times on Monday.

With each tanker having to wait at least six hours, some of them tend to drop the sewage in the open or storm water drains in a bid to make more trips.

The menace has hit many areas and recently, the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club was forced to cancel some of their trips owing to the sewage which came into the sea through the storm water outlets.

On Sunday, Dubai Municipality and doctors warned beachgoers to stay out of the sea near contaminated parts of the emirate’s shoreline.

Sifaee said his department had observed on average four tankers carrying out this illegal activity daily.

He urged the public to cooperate with Dubai Municipality in this regard and inform them about such illegal activity by calling the toll free number 800-900.

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