Sharjah: Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon will soon get pollution and stagnation control measures.
The move comes as part of the partnership between the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and the Sharjah Environment Company LLC (Bee’ah) to improve and preserve the quality of water in the lagoon.
Both agencies recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) under the directives of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to ensure a premium quality of living in Sharjah while preserving all natural and aquatic foundations in the emirate.
Bee’ah will undertake a series of initiatives over a period of 12 months aimed at raising the standard of Sharjah’s popular water feature, through a water circulation and filtration process, which will be extended and periodically renewed through Al Qasba’s access to the open waters of Al Khan lake.
Shurooq’s decision to employ Bee’ah — the emirate’s joint public and private environment agency — was in response to Bee’ah’s report on the status of Khalid Lagoon and Al Khan Lagoon, both man-made extensions connected through the waterway at Al Qasba Canal.
Among the problems identified in the report was Khalid Lagoon’s current poor flushing status that has resulted in a build-up of algae which, in turn, has caused problems with offensive odours.
Shurooq has contracted Bee’ah since June 2015 to undertake water quality studies for both Khalid and Al Khan lagoons in Sharjah.
“The studies’ findings were that Khalid Lagoon especially is subject to pollution from the various recreational sectors that have cropped up around it over the years. In addition to this, large parts of the lagoon are deprived of any natural seawater flushing its system, meaning that it remains stagnant, which has led to the proliferation of bacteria and algae, a main cause of bad smells that are an irritant to residents living nearby,” said Marwan Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq.
Based on Bee’ah proposals, gate opening timings at the Al Qasba Canal will be changed, which was constructed in an early attempt to improve the flushing of the Khalid Lagoon. The company will also measure water outflow during these periods to assess improvement, as well as take regular water samples from Khalid Lagoon to measure oxygen levels, acidity, the presence of suspended solids, nitrate levels and levels of bacteria.
Bee’ah will also develop new Pollution Control Guidelines for public and cargo ships to reduce the instances of discharges from vessels off-shore, which are contributing to the pollution of Khalid Lagoon.
Awareness programmes and campaigns will also be held to such as the ‘One-day Underwater Waste Collection Event’ designed to engage stakeholders on the lagoon’s conservation.
“Based on our technical expertise, we expect initial positive changes in the lagoon’s water quality after one year. The programme is a long-term strategy that will see gradual improvements in the lagoon’s water quality and a continual application of the recommended features by Bee’ah and Shurooq will be able to preserve and restore the lagoon’s valuable ecosystem in the coming years,” said Khalid Al Huraimel, Bee’ah’s group CEO.
