HIBAPRESS – By Al-Ihyai
HIBAPRESS received new photos taken yesterday from a temporary quarry with expired licenses near Wazzan, documenting an illegal and unauthorized exploitation operation by a well-known northern company. This company is exploiting the quarry to steal stones from the farms of the "Al-Wadiyin" area, which belongs to the "Ain Baida" community on National Road No. 13 linking the cities of "Wazzan" and "Chefchaouen". It is now confirmed beyond any doubt that there is a continuous and flagrant violation of the provisions of Law No. 13.27 relating to quarries.
Given that this quarry, which was licensed for temporary exploitation for the benefit of the company concerned, was previously associated with the preparation of several road sections of National Road No. 13 in 2022 under permit number: m.a.t.n.l.m.o3577/1415/21 dated August 12, 2021, as indicated at the entrance to the quarry up to the writing of these lines, knowing that the same iron plate located at the entrance to the quarry, the authorities were required to give instructions to uproot it to ensure that the population was not misled, but leaving it in place without reason has its known calculations and reasons. The residents are wondering with great astonishment about the hidden hands behind the continued exploitation of this stone quarry despite the completion of the works for which it was licensed and under the eyes of the authorities of the Wazzan prefecture and the Regional Directorate of Equipment and Transport, in a blatant violation of the laws regulating this activity, as the presence of crushing machines erected and the constant flying dust from the place does not suggest anything but that the suspicious exploitation process is ongoing and in broad daylight, perhaps the photos taken from the scene clarify the matter clearly and have nothing to do with what is being promoted deliberately that the same space is for storage only. Anyone passing on National Road No. 13, whether on foot or by car, can see from the first look that the quarry is operating and producing because of the sounds from the machines and the dust flying every hour, as mentioned before, and denying these facts, whether from the exploiting party or from the competent authorities, is nothing but a lie and complicity intended to manipulate and circumvent the law in one way or another. In the face of this serious administrative incident that deeply affects the procedures of the law relating to quarries and the specifications associated with it, the residents of the region demand that the governor of the province intervene immediately to withdraw the expired license from the operating company and evacuate the quarry permanently as stipulated by law, while arranging the necessary penalties against those involved and holding them accountable for the environmental damage caused retroactively in light of previous violations committed by the same company. HIBAPRESS had previously, in a previous article, sounded the alarm about this illegal exploitation of an expired quarry without the concerned authorities taking action to deter these serious violations that affect the state's capabilities and encourage looting and the depletion of wealth. If the recent peaceful demonstrations led by "Zaid" youth demand the fall of corruption, the Wazzan prefecture must pay attention to the corruption that is eroding the state's capabilities in its surroundings and carry out comprehensive reforms to reduce it and its extensions, which have become on everyone's lips in the region.
