KUWAIT: A garden in block 2 in Mahboula has become a virtual dumping ground for garbage and construction debris since the past few months. People have been noticing several trucks dumping trash, as evidenced by images taken by Kuwait Times yesterday. Residents of the area complain of foul odors emanating from the site, as the garbage includes biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. The area is also infested with flies.

"After the rain last week, I noticed several trucks coming and going in the area to dump trash. We do not know where they are coming from, but the garbage pile is becoming bigger. Before it was only construction materials, but now, with black bags too, it means they are making this area a dumpsite. We were not informed about it. This is not a landfill but an open space," said Joy, a resident who is a nurse at a nearby clinic.

Joy said the smell emanating from the dumpsite is unhealthy for people leaving there. "This place is a dumping site now. If this is a landfill, then they have to notify us, because we are not going to stay here any longer. But I know it is not a landfill - if it is a landfill, they would have covered the garbage with soil or sand at least," she said.

By Ben Garcia