Whatever from farm to table is supposed to be fresh and safe to eat, but it may not be the case in Asir. Over concerns of foodborne diseases, fifteen farms were destroyed after being found irrigated through sewage-contaminated well water in Khamis Mushayt region Wednesday, authorities said. The destruction of the 15 farms was recommended by a committee composed members of the branch office of the agriculture ministry, municipality, and police, said Ahmad Hassan Al-Hajan, director of the branch office. Farmers signed an undertaking not to grow the destroyed farms. The destruction decision was taken to protect the unsuspecting consumer, he said. Some more 20 farms were destroyed over the last few weeks. Authorities found that municipal sewage pipes near the farms penetrated the ground water from which the farms were irrigated. Untreated sewage water includes infected human faeces, hospital wastes, bacteria, viruses, dioxins, asbestos, industrial waste, heavy metals and a whole range of other pollutants, Hajan said with reference to the lab tests done on the contaminated water. During regular inspection tours of farms around the region, more than 100 wells were found affected by bacteria from sewage waste through sewage pipes. Sewage water from houses, hospitals, and factories transmits bacteria and parasites to grown food, causing chronic health problems, said Dr. Mohammad Al-Asiri from Asir Central Hospital. Hazardous materials like lead, mercury, zinc and cadmium are supposed to be removed from the sewage water before it is used in farms, he said. But who is using contaminated sewage water to grow food? At a destroyed farm, Mostafa Mohammad, a Bangladeshi national, said that he rented the farm from a Saudi owner for a shared profit. “In the summer time, the farm brings in SR15,000,” he said. His compatriot Mohammad Jadallah said he has rented three farms in Khamis Mushayt and hired his fellow nationals to run it. “The vegetables and fruits which the farms produce yielded a profit of SR20,000,” he said. According to farmers, water used on the three farms was taken from nearby wells which were only a few meters away from the sanitary drainage pipes. One of the farmers named Taher Muhieldin was spotted washing the vegetables carelessly in a bacteria-contaminated pool. Asked whether he had undergone a medical check-up, he answered that he has not been requested to do so. “This is a part-time job for me. I am a cleaning worker at a school”, he said. Another Bangladeshi named Ghuno Nour said he sold vegetables and fruits but knew nothing about the owner of the farm. “I work with a number of fellow compatriots in packing vegetables and fruits in boxes which we later take to the market in Abha,” he said. Ramadan Abdulrahim, an Egyptian worker at the farm, said that he ran away from the farm where he felt an inspection team was approaching. “But I am returning now to the farm. They are gone,” he said. And with his return, contaminated grown fruits and vegetables may return to the table. – Okaz __
