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A question to our officials .... How can a City Council turn the agricultural land of farmers to a garbage dump?
The LCHR received the complaints of dozens of farmers from the village of Sheleb, Baseoun, Gharbia governorate. The farmers complained that Baseoun city council has trespassed on their agricultural land and destroyed their crops, under the claim that the state owns this land. The city council dumps the city garbage in their land in violation to the law, natural resources, and their right to a safe agriculture, and a safe and clean environment for the people.
The farmers say that the garbage dump is a threat to the health of the people of the city, and to the output of their agricultural land. They say that it will lead to environmental disasters and the spread of infectious diseases, which will affect the health of children, women and the elderly in the region, especially under the deteriorating health conditions in hospitals and health units of the city and the high costs of medical treatment.
The people confirm that more than fifty families live from the outcome of the disputed area, which is about seven acres. The farmers have reclaimed and farmed this land for more than fifty years. They are entitled to own and farm this land instead of letting it die fallow, especially since they have been cultivating it peacefully for more than half a century, but the city council staff are extorting the farmers, destroying their crops and imposing a royalty on them to let them farm the land.
The LCHR presents the complaints of the farmers to the Ministers of Agriculture, Irrigation and Environment, the governor of Gharbia governorate, demanding that they stop the abusive practices of the Baseoun city council staff, make them let the farmers farm their agriculture lands, and compensate the farmers for the destruction of their crops, for the sake of ensuring their rights to a decent live and safe farming.
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