Dubai residents and campaigners want dump for tyres cleaned up
Residents in Dubai’s Al Muhaisnah 4 district have called for the clean-up of a dumping ground for worn-out tyres.
One told The National that it was unfair for residents to have to tolerate the sight and smell of thousands of tyres degrading.
He said the yard was all the more incongruous given that Dubai has promoted itself as an environmentally friendly emirate.
“I have lived in this neighbourhood for 15 years and have never seen anything this bad before,” he said.
“The heat is causing the tyres to decay at an accelerated rate. The very least that could be done is relocating them to somewhere that is not so close to a residential area.”
He said that he had been in conversation with other residents, who all agreed the tyres were an eyesore that should be moved far away from where families are living.
“There are any number of things that could be placed there instead. The municipality could use the space for a park for families,” he said.
“The tyres are just being left there and they are not being taken away for recycling, either. For an emirate that prides itself on its environmental outlook, it is strange to have thousands of tyres degrading in the heat beside a built-up residential area.”
The problem of dumped tyres is nothing new in the UAE, said Emirates Environmental Group chairwoman Habiba Al Mar’ashi.
“Our organisation is very well aware of the issues around tyre waste. It is something that we come across every year when we conduct our Clean Up UAE campaign,” she said.
“Our volunteers have found tyres discarded in all areas from beaches to remote desert areas, mountains and wadis.”
Ms Al Mar’ashi said there were very clear reasons for the problems with tyres being dumped in the UAE.
“The reason for the improper disposal of tyres lies in the lack of awareness among the UAE community on the potential environmental damage it can cause,” she said.
This damage includes leaching of chemicals, combustibility and serving as an environment for the breeding of disease-carrying pests.
“Our organisation strives to mitigate the problem through education and awareness programmes along with the cleanup campaigns. However, we would like to see the proper implementation of stringent regulations, to ensure the proper disposal of the tyres,” Ms Al Mar’ashi said.
The National approached Dubai Municipality but no comment had been given at time of publishing.
One resident said the presence of the tyre dump was at odds with Dubai’s environmentally friendly image