HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zerouih
Halim Foutat, a prominent official in the inter-communal cooperation institution who resigned after his success in the legislative elections, sparked a wave of sharp discussion and wide controversy during Thursday's meeting of the Nador waste management group of municipalities. This controversy arose from unconventional statements he made, in which he fiercely defended the condition of the Oulad Stot Zaiou waste landfill, categorically denying the existence of any foul odors or environmental pollution in its vicinity.
In detail, Foutat affirmed that he conducted a surprise field visit to the landfill with a specialized committee to closely assess the situation. To attest to the credibility of his words, he indicated that he approached very close to the leachate tanks known as "lixiviate," and even climbed on top of them wearing his regular clothes without any protective gear, concluding that the place was completely free of any bothersome emissions, according to him.
The official summarized his position with his famous quote, which has become the talk of residents and environmental enthusiasts, saying with full confidence: "We went in our normal clothes… there is no smell, nothing, everything is normal." He considered the uproar surrounding this facility to be exaggerated and not based on field facts, emphasizing that matters are progressing in the right direction and that the environmental management of the landfill is being carried out according to the required standards.
In contrast, these statements were met with a wave of severe criticism and astonishment from civil society actors and those concerned with local affairs in the province of Nador. They stressed that the daily reality for residents living near the landfill reflects a completely different picture, confirming that foul odors emanate regularly, especially at certain times, forming a nightmare that disturbs citizens' peace and threatens their health and environmental safety.
This incident remains a prominent testament to the gap that sometimes exists between official and field reports on the one hand, and the suffering of local residents on the other. This, according to observers, necessitates the opening of a transparent and independent investigation, far from the language of numbers and superficial statements, to find radical solutions that ensure the protection of the environment and the health of citizens at the Oulad Stot landfill.
