Dubai, September 06: Thirteen stone quarries in the Northern Emirates and Fujairah will be shut down during this month for non-adherence to green regulations and causing pollution, according to the Ministry of Environment and Water.
Two other quarries in Ajman have already been closed for polluting the environment. The errant quarries will be closed for violating health safety regulations and local municipalities’ rules, said Minister of Environment and Water Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad.
The quarries, he said, had been given time to rectify the shortcomings, but they did not make any effort to improve environmental performance in line with the ministry’s guidelines.
The ministry has classified stone crushing companies into three categories, depending on their commitment to enforcing safety regulations, and using filters to prevent dust pollution caused by drilling activities, said Bin Fahad.
The first, called the green category, is for the stone quarries which adhere to regulations to control dust and various pollutants efficiently.
The second, called the orange category, is for quarries which have made efforts to follow the regulations to control dust and various pollutants, but are still in the process of adjusting to the new system completely.
The third, called the red category, is for quarries which are not complying with the control systems stipulated by the ministry to curb dust and pollutants. The ministry has begun to assess the air quality in the areas surrounding the quarries by using portable devices, said the minister.
In Fujairah this year, 73 per cent of the quarries were found to be complying with the ministry’s regulations, although 22 per cent are still in the orange category and five in the red category, Bin Fahad pointed out.
According to Khaled Al Houseny, director of Health and Environment Department, Sharjah Municipality, out of the five companies engaged in stone crushing and building demolition, two were shut down for environmental violations and non-adherence to municipality rules governing the work hours.
The two companies, involved in projects on Al Manama-Ajman Road, were not maintaining dust insulation fences and were found to be working during unscheduled hours.
Municipality officials, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment and Water, had inspected the sites following complaints from a large number of residents, some of whom, including children, were suffering from asthma, sinus and other breathing problems.
Al Houseny said the municipality’s priority was to maintain the safety and protection of the residents of the emirate. The authorities concerned are ready to follow up on public complaints and crack down on malpractices and violations by companies as well as contractors.
–Agencies