As construction and maintenance operations are in full swing: Will the Resident’s of Hael Str. & Dayeri Districts Realize their Dreams? [Archives:2000/12/Reportage]

Tawfeek Al-Shara’abi
Yemen Times

It is a commonly held belief that a cleanly society is a civilized one. The more civilized the society is, the more developed. This is why there is a strong emphasis on cleanliness by all nations and religions. A friend of mine told me that during his visit to one of the European countries he came across, in a public place, a sentence on a board “Cleanliness is next to godliness, the Arab Mohammed said.” Therefore, all the people across the world should pay due attention and importance to this matter. Consequently, the societies which give priority to cleanliness are characterized as most civilized and developed. However, our society seems to be different, for cleanliness seems to be an alien concept in many cities, especially in Sana’a, the capital.
Wherever you go nothing will strike your eyes except the rubbish and filth littered all around. These streets are full of piles of rubbish that emit a terribly foul smell. One may think that such conditions are exceptional and restricted to some poor areas and districts. As such, it is of little consequence and do not deserve much attention. I also used to believe likewise till I came to give a send off to a friend of mine leaving the country. The time we approached Sana’a airport I was totally amazed. There were so many swamps of water which I mistakenly took for agriculture water. However, soon I was shocked by the terrible stench coming out of these swamps which could penetrate even the car windows.
It was unbelievable!
“My Goodness.” Is this really the first view and impression and the maiden sight tourists come to see the moment they set foot in our country?
And if this is the case of the airport where tourists are received, the situation inside towns is any body’s guess.
As a matter of fact, all the entrances to the capital Sana’a are made in such a way as to give the newcomer a severe mental shock. At the airport, they are met with a hearty welcome accompanied by an unforgettable view and stench of swamps resulting from sewage water from different districts of Sana’a. When you come from Hodeidah you would also have the same impression as you would have to pass Asser. You are bound to get the horrible smell that comes out of the drainage water collected in there. If you are coming from Taiz, however, you would otherwise see so many piles of rubbish scattered on streets along Taiz road. The situation inside the city is even worse.
If such sights are frequent and common in the capital of Yemen, what to speak of the other towns? Localities such as Hael street and Al-Dayeri used to be very clean areas, but, they have become almost uninhabitable. The spread of such stagnant pools of water in the streets and near houses have led to the spread of many epidemic diseases causing dreaded diseases in many residential areas. Streets have become almost inaccessible. A visit to such places will prove this. Bus drivers are also among those who suffer; each one is expressing his anger in some way!
One said “I have become fed up with driving in those so-called streets. My bus frequently breaks down and costs me a fortunes to have it fixed. Sometimes we stick in such streets and we can never dodge.”
Restaurant owners, shop keepers, merchants are all suffering and are in a state of despair for they have been very much affected by such conditions. “We do not sell things as we used to nor can we afford the rents,” they claim.

However, things seem to have a new turn for the better as we see a gleaming ray of hope turning up in the sea of disappointment and frustration. Those in charge seem to have finally woken up after a long tiring sleep and have responded positively to all calls of distress by these residents. Works in different parts of Sana’a including Al-Hasabah, Al-Dayeri and Hael areas are on full swing to fix new sewage drainage system. Roads are blocked and dug up so as to fix new equipment and retrieve the situation. Some people still do not believe that they will see an end to their suffering and will smell clean air again. They say “We have been in such conditions for years and we have seen many attempts, to fix this system, melt in thin air. We very much doubt that this will be completed. Our children suffer every now and then from different diseases that have become endemic as a result of these horrible conditions we are living in.”One funny thing is when I talked to someone in Hael Street, he complained about the current works in these areas. He said “If these areas are fixed, landlords are bound to raise rents of flats which we cannot afford. We will, eventually find ourselves with our families in streets.”

Thus, what we sincerely hope for and keep our fingers crossed about is that works will be completed in due time and according to the designs and standards specified. If this happens the long-waited dreams of these residents will finally come true. They will heave a sigh of relief that life is back on the right track in these areas. On our part, we do support and encourage such commitment and hope that this will continue to the end. We do also propose that instead of lingering, letting things continue and reach a miserable and an irretrievable condition, why not move at the right moment and have full-fledged plans to fix things? There are by now so many places, for instance Al-Sonainah, many areas in Mathbah, and so forth that are in dire need of different facilities without which the condition will deteriorate like in Hael and Al-Dayeri districts. Won’t it be better to move now and set things right before agonizing people and making them suffer? Will this produce an echo in the ears of the people in charge! I wish so.
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