Muhammad Mujahid Syed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Residents of Al-Ruwais district in Jeddah have been complaining about the unhygienic state of garbage skips in their neighborhoods. Due to the nauseating smell emanating from uncollected trash that attracts flies and other pests, the area poses a potential health hazard, they say. “Jeddah has never faced such a crisis. These piles of garbage provide flies, mosquitoes, rodents, feral cats and other pests the ideal breeding ground,” said one resident. A trip to Sawtal Haq Street and Manazel Al-Sabereen Street within the district revealed the extent of problem caused by uncollected garbage. Wide areas around the garbage skips are strewn with broken furniture, toilet seats, rotten food and innumerable plastic bags along with many other types of trash. It seems that people living in nearby buildings have almost become immune to the threat. “These people lack any civic sense and dump every type of refuse around the dust bins without caring whether it would be collected by the dump truck or not,” said a passerby. Saudi Gazette spoke to some of the residents, who shrugged off the complaints saying they have become used to these conditions. The stench of sewage welcomes visitors to Muhammadiyah Plaza, and Al-Fikr Al-Ahliyah Street is almost blocked by leaking sewage. Two other streets linking Madinah Road have become almost impassable.
