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Municipalities in Eddico: "We want to hear the president"
Coal mines and new brick workshops threaten environmental disaster in Eddico
The Centre has received dozens of complaints from people of District of Beheira, ADCO, stating that they have been affected by the proliferation of tens of coal mines and new brick workshops in the agricultural perimeter of the new city by a member of the Shura Council, who was supported by governmental bodies and enforcement authorities that turned the city air into dust, coal, and prevented them the clean air.
According to the complaints, a Shura Council member has transferred of factories and workshops brick has from city of Rachid to Edco city, after he had set aside vast tracts of agricultural land; up to more than five hundred acres after it had been bought from the people. Then, factories have been set up in a short period and without obtaining approval from the Municipality of Eddico, or approval of the Ministry of the environment or agricultural department, and without licenses required for operation. And for sorrow, when the residents submitted their complaints before the officials, they did not find anybody to respond to them or to stop the tyranny of the shura member. So, they submitted complaints to the local councils to stop this environmental disaster, but the President of the local unit of the Centre for Edco said verbally that "This issue follows the Governor of Beheira and I can not do anything so far to stop the disaster".
It is worth mentioning that these factories will set aside vast tracts of fertile agricultural lands, which are estimated at about 5 thousands of acres that will be destroyed because of the establishment of such factories, in collusion with the county officials who were supposed to remove these factories at the expense of the offender, as required by law. But, unfortunately, the officials addressed direct speech to the local unit of Edco. Then they addressed the electricity and drinking water company for the introduction of drinking water, facilities and electricity for the violating factories, which have to be removed because of the influence the member of the Shura Council and his powers within the organs of the province.
It is worth mentioning that these factories are established in the north of the city and the sea directly, i.e. exhaust and remnants of the smoke of these factories will enter all the houses of EDCO, which is in the upper side. In addition, these factories, which will be held on the sea- the only outlet and summer resort in Beheira- which displays the Edco city and the lives of inhabitants of the environmental danger. It is assumed to transfer factories to deserts, such as the Sahara desert, or Ameriya & Nubaria industrial areas, and not in residential areas, but nobody hears the advice in this country!
It is worth mentioning that a local council has been informed with the disastrous risk of Edco, on 4/1/2010, where Mr. Mabrouk Mansour Hussein, a member of the Council, said "As a son of Edco, I seek justice. We in Edco, the same as Rashidl, we suffer from a lack of agricultural land. But the Shura member cared for the appearance and decorating himself in Rashid, while he pollutes us and our health and safety of the people, as he transfers the pollution from Rashid, sending it to us. Also, I see that citizens blame the politicians. They say only members of National Party do this. I remind them from 10 years ago, when we said to the candidate of Albusily: "Take two acres of Rashid". But Rashid, its Major-General- who is the President of their locality-, and the governorate, struggled until they have retained the 2 acres back, and they deducted 500 acres of Edco and seize the best 500 green acres and left us with the coal mines, despite both districts are located on one line. Moreover, officials of Rashid didn't like that we live without pollution. So, as you see, plantations of guava in Hod El-remal vanished completely. "
Also, Mahmud Mohammad, a member of local council, affirmed that: "The 15 workshops have no licenses and have not been licensed from Edco. They were constructed on agricultural land, and 15 workshops were moved to Edco. Is it forbidden to the people of Edco to inspire a little fresh air, while all the reaction of the governor was the silent? I do not know if he approved it or have waited the opinion of Legal Affairs. I do not know. Important leaders of the state seized the silence of the governor, and the workshops were built and moved here. As Rashid wants the sea, we want it. Why the factories are not set up there. I ask for demolishing what has been built, and for both sides to be committed to the centers area and administrative boundaries. "
Mr. / Khalid Abdul Hakam Faraj, Member of the Board:
"This issue is considered an environmental disaster for the centers of Edco and Rashid. What was started as 15 workshops will mount to 100 coal mines on the northern coast and it will become an environmental disaster. Coal mines problem was not solved, while factories are built in the center of Edco agricultural land. On the same time, members of local city, the district and the governorate don't know the situation. We want to hear from the president. We want a solution of the situation. We want urgent measurements, and to take a quick decisions for the removal of these workshops. "
Mr. / Ahmed Ismail Ashara - Member of the Council
"The establishment of the factories in north of EDCO and the Mediterranean coast- which is a façade for Beheira on the Mediterranean coast- will cause a quick destruction. These factories are a source of environmental pollution after it was a source of fresh air. Is it conceivable that the province has an interface on the Mediterranean, seeking consensus on the loss of coast in this way? We know that oil companies contribute to the national income, so we accepted it on the basis that it is working to clarify the situation and reduce pollution. So I ask the governor to help us tell from the pollution comes to us from these factories. "
Despite the objections of members of the local council as affirmed by the record of that meeting, who confirmed that the establishment of this coal mines and workshops in the city is a disaster; the dredgers are still working to set-aside arable land, and the establishment of brick workshops upon to sabotage the set-aside thousands of acres and the establishment of coal pollution on the Mediterranean coast are still taking place, which threatens by environmental disaster. Despite the violation of workshops and coalmines that have been established against the law, the Shura Council member is still supported by some of the executive bodies, ignoring the role of the law, the President of the local council, different governmental bodies, and the rule of law. He also keeps violating and threatening population by ecological disaster to come.
The Center submitted complaints of the people before the Prime Minister and the Governor of Beheira, asking to stop the environmental disaster, and requiring them to, quickly, remove what was caused by workshops and coal mines on the agricultural lands and the beach, to ensure saving the lives of the people and their rights to healthy, safe and clean environment, and a commitment to, and respect, for the law!.
For more information, please contact the Centre