Ibrahim Kheder Okaz/Saudi Gazette MAKKAH – Only four kilometers away from the Grand Mosque, Al-Sird neighborhood in south Makkah has been suffering from uncollected garbage, overflowing sewage and lately, stolen electric cables. Residents say dozens of meters of cables have been stolen in recent weeks, which causes already-overloaded generators to break down more often. Bandar Al-Qarhi, who has been living in the neighborhood for ten years, said residents are worried that diseases might spread because of overflowing sewage and garbage containers on the neighborhood's streets. He complained that overstayers were stealing electric cables and using them to hook their homes to the neighborhood's electric grid, causing frequent outages for other residents. Ahmad Ghanem called upon concerned authorities to arrest anyone who steals cables. “Several generators went out of order due to high loads. Some cables are left uncovered and pose great dangers to residents. Also, roads in the neighborhood need to be asphalted and lit," he said. Lt. Col. Abdul Mohsin Al-Maiman, Makkah Police spokesman, said police would investigate the thefts and culprits would be arrested.
