Violation: Jalbun lands flooded with sewage
Date: 03/01/2014
Location: Jalbun- Jenin governorate
Perpetrators: Colonists of Meirav
Victims: Four Palestinian families
Details:
The environmental pollution resulting from the Israeli colonies surrounding Jalbun poses a serious problem to its inhabitants. The colonies dispose their waste water via manholes installed along the Apartheid Wall, south east to the village of Jalbun. The pollution of the fetid muck causes economic loss, health problems and diseases.
Pictures 1-4: Sewage pumped through manholes along the Apartheid Wall and into Jalbun lands
The plains of Jalbun make a perfect downward stream of sewage for Meirav colony that is founded on a hill. That prompts colonists to pump sewage as well as cow dung into the village. The sewage penetrates the village's graveyard and into the houses and the plains east of the village. That has led to polluting the whole area. The pollution of the plains- that are planted with wheat and vegetables- made its landowners lose their crops and the economic profits generated by them. Many people now do not prefer to buy vegetables produced in the valleys of Jalbun because they fear the pollution and its results on their health.
The northern part of Jalbun is not better than its eastern. Maale Gilboa colony disposes most of its waste water and cow dung through manholes installed along the Apartheid Wall from the northern side of the village. That poses a serious threat especially that the sewage penetrates houses like Fakhri Abu Al Rub's. The affected houses in the area have reached up to 30 houses. The damage was manifested in skin diseases, spread of bugs and rodents, and bad effect on the animal wealth and vegetation.
Let alone the industrial waste produced by factories in the colony like the pickles factory. The waste pollutes the area and damages the crops and the soil. The latter turns black and cannot be used for irrigation.
Mr. Hesham Abu Al Rub (49) told an LRC observer about his suffering resulting from the sewage: "We cannot take it anymore! This place is turning into hell. We feel we live in a big prison because of the fetid muck coming from the colony. We cannot wade in sewage so roads are rendered inaccessible. Not to mention the flies and bad smell as well as the awful sight of the waste. My brother's children had skin diseases. My crops and bee houses were polluted and damaged and thus I lost my source of income."
Mr. Fakhri Abu Al Rub stated an LRC observer that: "The sewage coming from Meirav colony passes through my backyard splitting it to two halves. I need a bridge to reach my house via the yard. The sewage results in the spread of bugs and flies that badly affected my sheep herd. I have 22 sheep and the pollution causes diseases to them."
Moreover, the bad smell of the dung of the cows in the nearby colonies especially when the weather is windy causes air pollution that cannot be tolerated. It should be remarked that the pollution problem in Jalbun started since the foundation of the colonies and got bigger with the erection of the Apartheid Wall in 2002. Jalbun village council tried to find a solution to the problem and sought human rights organizations as well as courts to sort it out but to no avail so far.
About Jalbun:
10 kilometer north east of Jenin, Jalbun is surrounded by Al Mughayyir and Fuqua (north), Al Mughayyir (south), Deir Abu Daef (west). Jalbun has a population of 2390 people according to statistics conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2007. It has a total area of 9,308 of which 590 dunums are a built-up area of the village.
The Israeli occupation devoured more than 1432 dunums of the lands of the village for the colonies and the Apartheid Wall. It is worth knowing that colonies of Gilboa and King Joshua were built on the international truce line, i.e. on Jalbun lands occupied in the 1948 war.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
