Contractors will be allowed to transport the debris and rubble amassed from digging works prior to the issuance of the edict to the dumping locations as agreed with Supreme Council for the Environment.
The above-mentioned digging works shall not resume unless officially approved by the President of the Supreme Council for the Environment.
A total 100 trucks will be mobilized to transport the amassed debris and rubble within two weeks from Wadi Al-Buhair to the Askar dumping ground belonging the Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry.
Under the edict, a sample of polluted water will be taken from Wadi Al-Buhair stagnant and stench swamps to be analysed.
Specialists will also analyze a sample of soil taken at the depth of 15 metres to measure the gas density and metallic residues.
The council urges all parties in charge of construction projects to comply fully with the laws on the protection of the environment to ensure sustained development in Bahrain.
It urged the public to report any environment-related complaints to the specialists of the Supreme Council for the Environment on hotline 80001112.
In a statement on Monday, the council said that complaints would be referred to concerned authorities for inquiry.
The Supreme Council for the Environment held a meeting at its headquarters at Beit Al-Tejjar with the Buhair Housing Project Committee.
The panel features officials representing the ministries of housing, health, municipalities’ affairs and interior.
The session discussed efforts undertaken by government departments to ensure the comfort of people living at the vicinity of Wadi Al-Buhair and other areas of Bahrain.
SCE Chief Executive Officer Dr. Adel Khalifa Al-Zayani briefed the committee on the nature of Wadi Al-Buhair soil, classified as “Land Brownfield”.
He pointed out that fire broke spontaneously at different locations of the project, adding that the causes are being investigated.
He also pointed out that air quality sensors are working round the clock to measure emissions at the site of Wadi Al-Buhair Housing Project, stressing the need to transport the liquid wasted to be processed at the SCE specialized recycling plant.
Civil Defence Security and Safety Chief Lieutenant Colonel Sa’ad Hassan Al Nuaimi said the fires are a new phenomenon which started three days ago and the fire brigades are working continuously on putting them out. He demanded the contractor to assume the responsibility of controlling the fires to enable the Civil Defence to provide the needed service should a fire breaks out elsewhere in the country.
Therefore, the contractor has to provide his own crew and trainer since the very first day and outfit them with special equipment. He has also to prepare a contingency plan to deal with work risks.
Lt. Colonel Al Nuaimi explained that it has been found out that the person in charge of the project has only a small tank and a weak pump which will not work if fire breaks out in more than one spot at a time or spreads.
He revealed that the Civil Defence Crew kept fighting the fires in the eastern part of the project till 3 am on Monday.
Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister’s Advisor Bob Doig said the ministry is closely monitoring the situation through repeated field visits by the minister to determine what could be done by the ministry to tackle the environmental repercussions of the project.
Public Health Director Dr. Khairiya Mousa said the efforts of the Anti-Malaria Department have been able to temporarily control the swamp yesterday and a team of specialists managed to stop mosquito breeding for two weeks.
At the end of the meeting, Head of the Housing Ministry Construction Department Jafar Yousef Al-Jishi promised to carry out all the ministry’s recommendations.