Halaqa, the Jeddah Vegetable Market, located in Al-Safa District is deteriorating to such an extent that many environmentalists have warned of an imminent health hazard. Shoppers are greeted with fluids from overflowing sanitary drains which cover the floor of the market as well as by nasty smells coming from overflowing septic tanks. This has prompted consumers to urge the preventive medicine authorities at Jeddah Mayoralty to tighten control, strictly monitor the products being sold at Al-Halaqa, and set up a quality control laboratory to ensure that the products sold there are fit for human consumption. Apart from this, consumers want something be done about the negligent cleaning companies contracted to ensure the cleanliness of the market. The company employees, it is alleged, work as porters instead of doing their job as cleaners to earn some quick money. Abdul Rahman Al-Zahrani, a private sector employee living near the market, said, “It seems that the cleaners have found the market a good place for increasing their income. Thus instead of carrying out their duties as cleaners, they have become porters and are earning a lot more. This is happening because there are no supervisors to oversee their work.” Saad Al-Shahrani, a civil servant, said he has never seen an inspector from the mayoralty carrying out his duty, which explains why the cleaners are involved in businesses other than cleaning. Anwar Mahmood, who frequents the market, called upon the authorities concerned to tighten supervision on Al-Halaqa since any visitor cannot fail to notice the overflowing sewage which poses a great threat to public health. Khaleel Muhammad said, “No one could ever believe the negligence in Al-Halaqa. Everywhere there are heaps of garbage which have become a breeding ground for flies, rodents and insects.” He said this poses a crucial question about the role of the consumer protection societies that surely could send at least one representative to see the chaos and mess in the market. Dr. Fatima Al-Zahra Bin Muhammad Al-Ansari, a specialist in public health, voiced her concern that when she goes to the market she always finds that cartons are placed near heaps of garbage. She said this is very dangerous because the germs and parasites in these heaps can easily be transmitted to the vegetables packed in the cartons. She said this explains why some of those who buy vegetables from the market suffer from gastric and stomach diseases such as dysentery and inflammation of the large intestine.
