Historic Ghouta Area “Filthy”

Bebla, outside Damascus, is located in the fertile Ghouta oasis, but it has become a scene of chaos and filth, lacking water, electricity and sewage services, the government newspaper Tishreen reported on February 24.



Local resident Fouad, a resident of the area, said uncollected garbage is widespread and that one neighbourhood in particular called Salaam is filthy and violates all sanitary rules.



“Instead of cleaning up the filth that causes diseases and fixing the potholes in the streets, [the authorities] focus on handing out tickets because that’s in their interests,” said Muhammed Salim, a resident.



“The lack of coordination between municipality authorities is obvious,” said Ahmed Haidar, another resident.



Abdulsalam Zaza, the director of Bebla municipality, said the city’s contract with the waste management company expired in August 2007.



Zaza said funds are allocated to the town based on its official population of 12,000, but he estimated that 190,000 people now live there, and the soaring population is putting pressure on public services.