Creek marine life contaminated

Dubai: Eating fish caught from Dubai Creek lagoon can lead to health hazards, a senior official warned anglers and residents on Monday.

Engineer Khalid Al Zahed, Director of the Marine Projects Department at the Roads and Transport Authority, said that there is water quality deterioration especially in the upper region of the Dubai Creek.

Al Zahed said that in order to minimise the pollution level in the lagoon area there was a need to carry out tertiary treatment along with dredging of another 50 cm from the bottom of the creek.

"This will bring us clean sand. At present it is zero oxygen level at the bottom.

"Formation of new laws and legislation is very important that will stop people from discharging sewage into the creek. With so many activities and development projects taking place alongside the creek the stringent laws has to be put in place," he said. Al Zahed said the marine life is very poor and it is dangerous for people to fish in that area.

"Consumption of fish caught from the lagoon area could be fatal as they are contaminated by dangerous type of bacteria. Moreover inhaling the bad odour from the waters in that area can give rise to health issues. In summer the colour of the water turns green while that in winter you will find it red at some places. These are indicators of the different types of bacteria nurturing in that area. The pollution in lagoon area is quite high," he said.

Al Zahed yesterday presented his paper on Marine Environmental Issues and their Mitigation along Dubai Creek for the Management of Marine Development Projects at the seventh International Conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in developing Countries.

He said: "The water quality in the channel is much better than the lagoon. One of the main reasons for the poor quality of water in this area is the discharge of sewage from the treatment plants and poor water flushing due to natural topography. There are less currents in this area".

In reply to a query whether abras operating in the creek contribute to the pollution, Al Zahed said: "No, abras do not add to the pollution factor as they operate in the arteries of the channel area where there is free flow of water.

"Let me clarify that I am talking on this particular subject based on the study carried out for my Ph.D. I am willing to talk on this matter to the government along with my recommendations," he said.

Key role in transport

Water transport can carry more than 20 per cent of public transport patronage share in 2020," said Engineer Khalid Al Zahed, Director of the Marine Projects Department at the Roads and Transport Authority.

He said that water transport in Dubai is expected to claim a major share of public transport users in the city and a 30 to 40 per cent of traffic congestion in the Central Business Districts (CBD) can be reduced if an integrated public water transport system is in place, an international conference on coastal and port engineering was told.