Ras Al Khaimah villagers fume over quarry dust

Ras Al Khaimah: Saif Mohammad can see the quarry from his front porch. Fine dust clouds coat his car, his garden furniture and tools left outside in a film of dirt every single day.

In pictures: RAK quarries bring misery to residents

His children do not play outside like he did as a child. "Our parents didn't know any better," he says. "My children all have asthma. We need our own respirator at home for them."

The small village of Khor Khwair in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah resembles a ghost town during the day, with not a soul in sight. Flanked by the ocean and mountains it was once a quiet, beautiful village.

But now there is a port, fuel storage station and multi-tonne trucks going to and from the cement factory, just a stone's throw away. Residents of this tiny fishing village avoid going outside, not just to escape the searing heat but to keep from breathing the constant dust particles floating in the air.

Summer holiday

"Before, people would come here to spend the summer but now it is just too polluted," says Mohammad, 33.

He has lived in Khor Khwair all his life and has complained to the authorities about the air pollution many times.

The dull sound of machinery rumbles into the afternoon as boats creak under the load of heavy rocks. Around the small village dust is stirred up on the dirt tracks leading in and out of the quarry. The nearby mountains are reduced to a barely visible outline through the haze of heat and dirt.

Remaining pockets of people living near these mountains in the northern emirates recently staged a protest to halt the work that is interfering with their health and lifestyle.

The Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd also recently visited some quarries in RAK and Fujairah and found many were violating environmental health standards.

Dr Bin Fahd found equipment was primitive and in violation of the environmental standards set by the ministry, especially with regard to dust, noise and transportation.

Mohammad knows all too well about the noise and air pollution.

"I live maybe 30 metres from fuel storage tanks and the quarry just in front. Every day is a bad day for air pollution. Our children have asthma and cough all the time. All the children here have some sort of illness. Each house has a respirator," he says.

"We have complained to the authorities more than 1,000 times but they do nothing. We want to solve this problem. It has been 30 years and we are still waiting," says Mohammad.

His brother-in-law, Rashid Abdullah, says: "Our fathers lived here, our grandfathers lived here. We have our farms here and we fish here. Why should we have to move? This is our area."

Cultivation

The family's date gardens also show negative symptoms and the land is no longer good for cultivation, says Abdullah.

"The cement dust blows over here and settles on the ground. It's rock hard, the ground has turned to cement! The trees are covered in dust. The land is bad for agriculture," he says.

The men want to form a committee and go into talks with the authorities. "We want to discuss what is happening here. One from our side and one from their side. Some of the factories do not use filters or lids on their stores because of the cost of maintenance," says Mohammad, pointing to the three cement factories in the vicinity.

"I don't want to stop the development, but I don't want it to happen at the cost of my children's health," says Mohammad.

His three daughters and son have all developed asthma and use a respirator on particularly bad days when they play outside. They are often short of breath, Mohammad's wife says.

"We have to cover the TV because the dust gets in. We have no thick carpets inside the house because they just trap dust, but it is still dusty.

"We have been offered housing 50km away, but it is too far. We do not want to leave the area. There is some land closer but we were told it will be used for factories," says Mohammad.

"We have not received any compensation but no amount of money would be enough. It is not a solution."