Trash-pickers tuck into biryani treat for Eid

Dubai: The smell of freshly cooked biryani wafting in the air next to a dumpsite provided a welcome change for hundreds of garbage collectors at the Al Ghusais landfill on Monday.

About 400 landfill workers joined the Eid lunch, including scrap collectors who gather materials for recycling from the 40-metre-high dumpsite.

“It’s not everyday we smell and eat good biryani in this landfill,” said Iqbal Khan, 48, who has been driving garbage trucks in Dubai for 13 years.

Many like Iqbal will be on duty over the Eid Al Adha holidays. Abu Bakr, 35, an Indian helper whose team collects garbage from public bins in New Dubai areas, said: “We can’t let trash bins overflow so many of us will be working.”

Other workers have their Eid plans already laid out: “I will call and greet my family back home in Sudan and pray in the masjid (mosque),” said Ayman, 35, a landfill site supervisor.

The celebration was rather simple, but orderly. The workers came in batches and formed a beeline towards two huge aluminium vessels of biryani prepared by Al Mamzar Kitchen. There was a choice of chicken or mutton biryani, assorted fresh fruits, ice-cold soda and water.

“We thank the kind-hearted people who brought this feast to us,” said Prakash, a 60-year-old Indian who has been driving garbage trucks for 26 years.

“This biryani party is a big surprise,” said Pakistani truck driver Ali Saeed, 58, who has been working in Dubai for 18 years.

The rather spartan feast was held in the waste-to-energy (WTE) facility compound, next to the dumpsite’s weigh bridge.

Dubai Municipality launched the UN-registered landfill gas recovery plant in July. It is the Middle East’s largest gas recovery project and the first to produce power.

The plant was built and is operated by Dubai-based Green Energy Solutions and Sustainability (GESS), which hosted the Eid lunch and even brought in some fancy tables and chairs. Anita Nouri, GESS business development director, said: “It’s our simple Eid Al Adha treat for the workers here … a ‘thank you’ for helping keep our communities clean.”

Over 1,000 garbage trucks bring up to 5,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste into the landfill, which is open 24/7.

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