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Bacteria Fears Force Beach Closure

DUBAI— The open beach area next to the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club has been closed down as a precautionary measure, Abdullah Rafea, Assistant Director-General of Environment and Public Health Affairs at the Dubai Municipality, told Khaleej Times on Monday.

Following media reports of high E.coli levels found in the sea in the area due to sewage contamination, Rafea said the presence of the deadly bacteria has not been confirmed. “At the moment, we cannot confirm that there is a high presence of E.coli in the water. But with the tankers dumping the raw sewage into the storm water drains, the water has been contaminated.

The beach has been closed down as a precautionary measure and investigations are being carried out,” he said.

The E.coli bacteria can cause serious health problems including diarrhoea, fever and vomiting. Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hassan, Head of the Marine Environment and Sanctuaries Unit at the civic body, told Khaleej Times on Sunday that a 150-metre area near the Sailing Club could see a sand replacement or dredging.

He said the officials had collected some samples and sent them to the Dubai Central Laboratory for tests. The results of the tests are expected in a couple of days.

joy@khaleejtimes.com