Dubai: The orange slime that sullied a big stretch of the Jumeirah beachfront has nearly cleared off from the water’s surface but left behind a dark tinge.
The source of the discharge, which covered an area of almost a kilometre, is still unknown and the Dubai Municipality is conducting investigations regarding the same. The sludge seems to have flowed out from a storm water drainage system in Jumeirah.
Dubai Municipality officials have collected samples to determine the composition of the discharge. “We have collected the samples and given them for laboratory tests to find out the exact nature of the discharge. Only after we get the results will we be able to gauge the quantum of its ecological impact,” Mohammad Abdul Rahman Hassan, head of the marine environment and wildlife section at Dubai Municipality, told Gulf News.
The municipality’s drainage department is investigating the source of the discharge which could also be a result of illegal dumping into the storm water drain. The possibility of waste having been dumped by unscrupulous waste haulers in order to avoid paying the fee for proper disposal are not being ruled out.
The copper-orange discharge became apparent on Friday near Jumeirah beach and soon blanketed a big area along the beachfront.
Eyewitnesses said that before the sleaze became visible, they heard waste water flowing out with quite a force from the drainage system in the area. “It was quite thick and spread over a vast area. We wondered how long would it take to clear but it seems that the currents have cleared it quickly. Now we see only a dark tinge that is left behind,” said an eyewitness.
