The Arbaeen Lake in downtown Jeddah was developed recently by the municipality spending SR13 million. The aim was to make it picnic spot for the city's residents. However, the lake has soon become a source of pollution and disease-spreading microbes in the midst of the city because of official negligence. Covering an area of 290,000 square meters, the lake has a depth of five to eight meters. The historic lake, according to one report, got its name after women used to take bath in its waters 40 days after giving birth. According to one historian, Caliph Othman Bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) had reportedly taken bath in the lake after he made Jeddah the port of entry for pilgrims coming to Makkah, in place of Shuaiba. Presently, the lake's condition is very poor as it has become a dumping ground for sewage. As a result fishes die in its toxic waters. Al-Madinah Arabic recently studied the lake's condition and found that the municipality has not taken any precautions to protect it from pollution. There is a control room near the lake but it is being used by illegal expatriate workers as a hideout. The worn-out equipment inside the room shows nobody has entered it for years. The huge fans installed by the municipality to aerate the lake's water have stopped working. Some foreign workers were seen catching dead fish from the lake to sell them to the public. Sulaiman Badawood, a Saudi, emphasized the need to clean up the lake. He urged the public to stop dumping sewage in the lake. "The municipality should appoint a contractor to clean the lake regularly, not once a year," Badawood told Al-Madinah. Dr. Ali Eshki, a professor at the College of Marine Sciences, said the lake has lost contact with the sea because of its narrow pathway. As a result toxic gases similar to odorless methane gas have formed in its waters. "These toxic gases will have a negative impact on the environment and the health of Jeddah residents, spreading chronic diseases," he said. Eshki called upon the municipality to develop the lake into a resort with recreation facilities for Jeddah residents to spend their evenings and holidays there. Environment expert Amjad Khan said the death of fish in Arbaeen Lake proves that its water is toxic. Lack of oxygen is another reason for the death. The municipality had installed fans to solve that problem but the fans have stopped working due to a lack of maintenance, he added. Dr. Abdul Malik Al-Jundy, chairman of Jeddah Municipal Council, said measures have been taken to stop the dumping of sewage in the lake. "If we receive complaints from citizens on the lake, we will discuss the matter at the council and take corrective action," he added. Hussein Al-Qahtani, spokesman for the Presidency for Meteorology and Environment, said the dumping of sewage in the lake has been stopped. Algae grew in the lake because of sewage dumping. Mohammed Al-Baqami, spokesman for Jeddah Municipality, did not respond when contacted by the daily to get answers on his organization's efforts to clean up the lake.
