HIBAPRESS – Yasser El-Iahyawi
The decision to permit a quarry for crushing stones within the weekly market space of Sebt Rihouna has sparked widespread resentment among the residents of the neighboring villages, after the installation of large machines dedicated to breaking stones began days ago within the market’s vicinity.
Community activists expressed their condemnation of what they described as "arbitrariness" and "capriciousness" in granting such permits, especially for projects that require strict environmental conditions and detailed impact studies to protect the population from potential harm. The residents of the villages of the Ibrichah commune, belonging to the Wazzan province, were surprised by the presence of giant equipment that was installed to supply the regional hospital construction site with materials extracted from Wadi Zandoula, which is about 20 kilometers away. Those interested in local affairs also questioned the project's compliance with the laws governing quarries, especially with its presence meters away from regional road 4101 and regional road number 13, in clear violation of laws that prohibit quarries adjacent to main roads. One follower pointed out that Royal Decree No. 1.03.60 regarding environmental impact studies clearly defines the conditions for protecting the natural environment and human activities, questioning the reason for the absence of the application of these standards on the ground. He added that turning part of the weekly market into a quarry space poses a direct threat to the safety of food products, animals and fish offered for sale. Local speakers also emphasized that the laws require the owners of these projects to prepare special paths for trucks, which is not apparent in the current project, where trucks will be forced to cross the path designated for the market—the path for which the commune spent a significant budget to rehabilitate recently. The question remains: Will the Wazzan prefecture, the Directorate of Equipment, the Urban Agency, and the Water Basin Agency intervene to review this permit and ensure respect for the quarry system, which was primarily established to protect residents and the environment?
