Okaz/Saudi Gazette BURAIDAH — Residents of Authal, 30 km north of Buraidah, have complained about a huge poultry farm that spreads a nasty smell, saying it has forced many people to leave the township. The authorities have not responded to the complaints and have not taken any action to shift the farm to another location. "We have been suffering from this poultry and fodder farm for the past 30 years," said Rasheed Al-Rasheed while speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette. He said the suffering of the residents increases during summer when the bad odor reaches its peak due to extreme heat. "We have received repeated promises from officials that the farm would be moved from the area but nothing has happened so far," he pointed out. "This situation has forced many people to shift their residence to other cities of the region," he added. Mohammed Al-Ahmed and Saleh Al-Adhadh agreed with Al-Rasheed and called for shifting the farm to a location far away from residential areas. Media figure Tarek Al-Rasheed also decried the authorities' lukewarm approach to the citizens' demand to shift the poultry farm from Authal. "Thirty years ago when the poultry farm was established in Authal we were happy but we never thought it would become a nightmare for its residents," Al-Rasheed said. He said people supported the big poultry farm with the hope that it would provide more job opportunities for young Saudis. "But the project has now turned into a catastrophe spreading bad odor and diseases among the people of the township," he explained. He said the bad smell came from burning fodder and rotten eggs. "Many people have left the town as a result of this farm and investors are not interested to put their money in Authal," he said, adding that the township's 10,000 residents have demanded the farm's closure. Al-Rasheed said the authorities were not taking any action to shift the farm despite the citizens' strong demand. "The farm has been causing diseases, especially among the elderly." He added: "The main problem is that the farm's owner is not cooperating with Authal people and he has managed to keep the farm in the same place using his influence." Meanwhile, a video of an elderly woman demanding the shifting of the farm has gone viral on the Internet with many social media activists backing her call.
