Waste in Al Qudra lake puts animals at risk

Dubai - Pictures by Dubai resident showed a dead swan surrounded by a large amount of trash in the lake

Residents have expressed concerns over the increase of waste dumped at Al Qudra lake in Dubai.
Pictures sent by Dubai resident Maha Jamil showed a dead swan surrounded by a large amount of trash in the lake that is located in the Seih Al Salam desert.
It was Jamil's first time to visit the lake, which is home to as many as 175 species of birds, including some endangered and threatened ones, and described the experience as "disappointing."
"I did not enjoy the view because of the trash dumped everywhere. Children could be seen throwing plastic bottles, cans and chips bags inside the lake," she said after her visit on Saturday afternoon to the popular picnic spot known to gather crowds on weekends.
Jamil added that although there were signboards requesting people not to litter, she did not spot a trash can. "You don't expect people to carry their trash back home."
She said areas around the lake should be green with big bushes to help keep children away from reaching the lake and littering. "It's a great place away from the concrete jungle though had it been carefully looked after."
Another Saturday visitor Javed Khamisani said he went to the lake to snap pictures but was left in a shock. A photographer by hobby, Khamisani said although the cluster of manmade lakes looked beautiful, the trash people left behind distorted its appearance.
"I did not click one picture," said Khamisani, "I heard so much about the place but I was shocked to see the amount of trash dumped there."
Like Jamil, he pointed out to the low numbers of trash bins accessible to visitors at the buzzing picnic spot. "Although it is never an excuse to litter, having trash bins in sight will help encourage people to litter at the right locations."
He added he did not see workers or cleaners in sight at the time of his visit. "Though there were signboards for people to see, children were throwing cans and bottles in the lake," he said.
Dubai Municipality to add more trash bins
Khalid Mohsen, head of the operation and cleaning service section, told Khaleej Times that 20 garbage containers have been added, with more to be added in the next two months.
"We noticed that the trash cans are few, concentrated at the main gate, and we are working on covering the rest of the area," said Mohsen.
He added that the municipality mainly works on raising the public awareness on the dangers of littering, adding that trash bags are usually distributed to visitors who are expected to clean up the area they used and dump the waste in the main garbage container at the main gate.
He noted that about 20 cleaners work to preserve the natural scenes of the lake, along with specialized Polaris cars to help workers clean the attraction. He added that the municipality is in the process of introducing specialized barbecue grills to prevent visitors from roasting meat on the ground.
Mohsen urged the public to contribute to help preserve the area that lately managed to become a popular spot for camping and barbecue trips.
"Unfortunately Al Qudra Lake was among the most beautiful places in town, it was opened to the public quite recently to allow people to enjoy themselves. However, some people's habit of littering is distorting its appearance," he said.
When asked about the penalty system, Mohsen said that the municipality focuses on increasing awareness before fining people. "Majority of people don't have enough environmental awareness, so if someone was caught redhanded, we usually give them a warning, if the action was repeated, that's when we impose fines."
The municipality carries different awareness campaigns to reduce the act of littering within Dubai communities.
Visitors react to campsite turned to dumping ground
Regular visitor Sina Hashemi Ansari said he is in Al Qudra at least once every month. "Sometimes I do see trash in the lake, and on the areas surrounding it. If there is an endurance race, you will see so many water bottles on the cycling track."
Anete Thomas said he went for an overnight camping last week and noted the lack of garbage facilities. "We cleaned up the area, but some people left behind their trash as they are." He added that trash can be mostly spotted by the entrance where the area is usually crowded on weekends. He said, "If garbage bins are provided in the next few months, it'll help reduce the waste, because once someone starts littering, others follow."
Annas Tanira described the lake as the "Ireland of Dubai." Having visited the place with his family last month for a barbecue night, he said the oases was a whole new experience of seeing animal species not commonly found in Dubai. "It is very shameful to see how people can act so irresponsibly and turn such a beautiful place to a dumping ground," said Tanira.
Wafa Ahmed, another regular to the lake, stressed on introducing a penalty system to stop people from littering. "While people enjoy themselves, they are also the ones who leave waste behind." She said installing garbage bins and hiring more cleaners could help getting the lake back to its original view.
About Al Qudra Lake
Located in the Seih Al Salam desert in Dubai, Al Qudra Lake is a man-made lake created as part of a bigger project to green and enrich that part of the desert of Dubai.
It is the only lake in the neighborhood of Seih Al Salam that's open to birdwatchers. It is one of at least six other huge freshwater bodies but smaller lakes including a Swan Lake make this area a buzzing picnic spot.
Nestled in the middle of the desert, Al Qudra Lake serve as a unique spot for barbecue picnics and wildlife spotting, offering other activities including cycling tracks and desert camping spots accessible to non-4WDs owners.
Recordings from 2008 till August this year by Dubai Municipality revealed that the number of bird species in the lake in Bab Al Shams desert area attracted 175 species of birds, the highest number of birds recorded from the lake and its environs that extends up to a 3km radius that includes several man-made oases and small plots of natural reserves.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com 

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