The Sewage-Flooded Al-Buraihi [Archives:2000/37/Health]

Farooq Al-Kamalee
Situated 15km north to the north of Taiz, Al-Buraihi is located in Al-Tazeiya district. It is consisted of a number of villages, namely, Al-Buraihi, Al-Suwaida, Al-Matahen, Al-Hashma, Al-Mashareb, Madat Al-Dahna, Al-Waqaa and Aqus. Its population totals more than 4,000 people. They suffer from drinking-water shortage and many kinds of diseases and epidemics.
Al-Buraihi is the sewage-disposal area Taiz city stretching over an area exceeding 13 hectares. The disposal area receives around 8000 cubic meters of sewage daily which constitutes 45% of used water water of Taiz city. Residents in Al-Buraihi villagers living on the banks of the sewage-disposal area usually use this sewage for irrigating their maize farms and other plants used as fodders. This has polluted ground water in the area. Thirst and household needs of water force the residents to transport fresh water from remote areas or travel down to Taiz to bring water on trucks or carry it home form remote areas. The area could be seen teeming with mosquitoes causing malaria, typhoid and bilharzia diseases, declaring it an epidemic area. It is noticed that the people there suffer from morbid spots apparent on their skins because of polluted water and malnutrition. Here, residents could be seen thin and feeble as they suffer from malnutrition.
The untreated water is pumped right from the gutters or the basins to farms; thus one can see farmers, their families and other laborers in the farms, are sick. Even consumers buying agricultural products of such farms are affected.
Local sources say that the area residents sell their products irrigated with polluted water they obtain from sewage to one of cattle farms in Taiz, therefore milk of those cows go to consumers in bags. Both the cattle and consumers are liable to catching any any kinds of disease. And if we know that cows and goats and other animals quench their thirst by drinking this polluted water, then we can imagine the extent of damage caused to consumers of these animals meats.
The residents have got accustomed to that untolerable smell emitting from the sewage area that has been more than twenty years.There area does not have any well to provide hygienic drinking water. There is no any health unit. The poverty stricken area never encouraged any doctor to open his private clinic there.
We do not know why these people are doomed to live this miserable life. What is their sin to live around a lake of sewage. Why portions of their arable land must receive Taiz City sewage?. These residents could have been compensated by building a health unit and digging well for drinking water. The only and collapsing school building, is unfortunately located on the bank of the sewage lake but could have been repaired and renovated. Built with the residents contributions, the school building is really surrounded with dirt.
Twenty years is a long suffering period of time. It should have never meant irresponsible 20 years of relief and deep sleep on part of the authorities. We do not know when the authorities shall wake up and come to the rescue of these helpless residents.
Is it not a pity to learn that a World Bank project to prepare studies on the sewage area and finance a water and sewerage system has also been shelved?

OPHTHALMIC EDUCATION (10)

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