Greenpeace MENA alerts authorities on dire case of polluted air in Kenitra

The MENA branch of international NGO Greenpeace recently relayed a petition, launched by the Oxygen Association for Environment and Health, regarding polluted air in Kenitra.

Back particles frequently plague the air in Kenitra, near Rabat, where the residents routinely find black dust over surfaces, rooftops, and streets.

The north-western Moroccan city has been at the forefront of Moroccans’ fight for clean air for over a decade.

As the city expands, and draws in more investments and residents, air pollution concerns have multiplied.

Local environmental activists have been sounding the alarm since 2010, maintaining that power generating plants are the first contributors to rampant air pollution in some of Morocco’s most populated cities.

“Residents suffer from air pollution and black dust that eats away at their bodies in silence, with many disastrous effects on the environment and the health of citizens,” alerts Greenpeace MENA.

In the city, residents “notice the spread of a thin layer of black dust consisting of fine grains on the roofs of their houses and cars, on the windows and even in the laundry hung. Sometimes it gets into the eyes, causing itching,” describes the petition, which will be submitted to the Moroccan authorities.

“It is known that most of the air pollution in the city of Kenitra is caused by emissions from facilities and factories located in the industrial areas of the city,” added the writing, as part of an advocacy campaign to alert to the danger of this phenomenon.

The petition recalls that the Oxygen Association for Environment and Health has already written to “all parties involved, represented by local authorities, the governor of the province of Kenitra, the territorial municipality, as well as the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, in order to find a solution to this problem persisting for years.”

In their petition, the NGOs referred to articles 31, 35, 71 and 136 of the Constitution which provide for the right to a healthy environment and sustainable development, the framework law 99.12 considered as a national charter of the environment, the law 13.03 relating to the fight against air pollution and the law 31.13 relating to the right of access to information, as well as Morocco’s international commitments expressed in the Paris Agreement on climate.

Air pollution has been a recurring concern for many urban residents across the country, leading to protests and humble government action in Mohammedia, El Jadida and Safi.