JEDDAH/MAKKAH — Five residents from Jeddah's Al-Nahdah districts have contracted dengue fever after sewage water was reportedly dumped near the neighborhood. Residents expressed anger after a sewage truck unloaded near their neighborhood. They said the problems began when the company started work on a sewage disposal network. They were later surprised to find a nearby location flooded with sewage water, attracting scores of mosquitoes. They complained to the concerned authorities but no action was taken. They called on the National Water Company (NWC) to deal with the problem. The deputy manager of the NWC's Jeddah operations unit, Saleh Sadawi, said a team was sent to the site and the situation will be resolved. He said any problem could be communicated directly to the company through its toll-free number 800-4411110. Meanwhile, leaking sewage has created many problems for residents of Makkah's Al-Sharaye neighborhood. In addition to the increasing numbers of mosquitoes, water has eroded the streets and caused damage to vehicles. Residents said the neighborhood has lacked a sewage disposal network for the past 20 years. Floods as a result of the leaking sewage have also caused losses to shop owners, as customers find it difficult to reach their shops. The NWC's manager for the Makkah and Taif operations, Abdullah Al-Hasanain, said if the water is indeed sewage, then the company cannot be held responsible because its sewage disposal services have not reached the neighborhood.
