Overflowing Woes: Tetouan Landfill Sparks Environmental and Health Crisis

The imminent risk of the Tetouan city landfill reaching saturation poses a significant threat to both public health and the environment.

In its report on Tuesday, April 25, Al Ahdath informs us that this issue has prompted the company responsible for managing this sector to launch an extensive awareness campaign targeting residents of various neighborhoods.

The objective is to encourage them to adopt behaviors that contribute to the proper management of household waste, which constitutes the bulk of the refuse.

As reported by the daily, Tetouan has been relying on a single landfill located at the city’s entrance for several years. While this landfill presents serious issues, it continues to receive waste.

Its management was entrusted to a private company that handles waste through burial, with the urban municipality of Tetouan allocating a budget of 3 million dirhams to this service.

However, following the decision to relocate the landfill and the impending opening of a new intermunicipal landfill in the Saddina municipality, the urban municipality of Tetouan is reportedly failing to fulfill its financial commitments to the managing company of the old landfill, according to Al Ahdath.

This situation requires both parties to engage in dialogue, especially considering the challenges faced in getting the new landfill operational.

Al Ahdath highlights that heavy rains in the Tetouan region last winter resulted in the collapse of several areas of the landfill. Consequently, garbage collection trucks were unable to reach the upper zone for unloading.

This situation, combined with the delayed opening of the new landfill, poses a genuine health hazard for the residents, particularly those in Louha and Ben Karrich.

These communities are enduring significant hardships due to foul odors emanating from the landfill, as reported by Al Ahdath.