Remraam residents plagued by foul smell of sewage
Appeals to Dubai Properties to stop spillage and fix line
DUBAI // Residents of the Remraam community in Jebel Ali have had to endure a foul odour of sewage that has hung over the area for the past two weeks. Louise Woods, who has been living in the community since July, said that the smell was almost unbearable.
“I’ve heard it was a sewage pipe on Hessa Street, but it doesn’t smell when you drive down Hessa Street,” she said. “It’s early evening when we start smelling it and (now) I’ve woken up to it. It stinks, it’s just disgusting,” she said.
“We don’t sleep with our windows open and the smell was so bad that I thought the dog had had an accident.”
She said the smell was making her sick.
“I have to cover my nose in my living room, and I actually started heaving the other night. I have had cold symptoms and a headache for the past week.”
Her daughter, Sidney Machachini, 16, also said she could smell it in the evening. “I was coming back home from a friend’s house last night, and the smell was very strong,” she said.
Ms Woods said that some residents had contacted Dubai Municipality and the property’s management, but received no response.
Alex, who has lived in Remraam for two years, said the smell comes and goes.
“I didn’t smell it all day on Sunday and then at night, it was horrible. It was so bad that it woke us up. I’m worried that this is bad for us to breathe in. I have children, a three-year-old and a one-year-old.
Resident Emma said that she was hopeful the odour would subside completely. “We’re smelling the sewage in the mornings now, rather than at night, so it does appear to be clearing up slightly,” she said.
According to a statement from Dubai Properties, which manages the Remraam community, the company is aware of the issue and was working to resolve it.
She said the issue was related to Dewa’s Jebel Ali sewerage line outside the community. “Dewa has confirmed that they have rectified the line that was causing the issue and have covered the affected area,” she said. “Dewa’s contractor treated the area on Tuesday night to dissolve the remaining spillage.”