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Rajana Hemmeh wrote in the Al-Akhbar newspaper:
For weeks, environmental calls have continued to protect the Ghalboun River in Jbeil district from “targeted attacks” blocking its course. The invitations, for the most part, came from the people of the region and neighboring regions. After feeling that the river they live next to was impossible to run day after day, they began to intercept. They did not accept that the person who attacked the river was Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Corporation, which is building a “water pump station” on the edge of the creek, without applying the minimum legal requirements, in terms of obtaining licenses from the competent authorities or even prepare the necessary studies in terms of preservation of the environment. And public safety. The worst thing is that these actions “caused the collapse of the wall to reinforce the main road that connects Ghalboun with the town of Shamat,” according to the statement from the Lebanese environmental movement based on the photos and the objection “document” presented by the population. While Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Corporation confirmed that the work they are carrying out has nothing to do with the collapse of the wall, and that the objectors have not presented any document to the foundation’s technicians to prove it, and blame the Ministry of Public Works .
For three weeks, none of those involved in the file, nor the Public Ministry, not even the institution that insisted on completing the works, acted for three weeks, despite the report from the Jbeil Civil Planning Department, which uncovered the work and classified what is happening in the category of infractions, demanding “to stop immediately the works and to return the course of the river”. And the natural land as before ». The situation remained that way until last night, when the Planning Department decided to take action on the matter, due to the reluctance of the Public Ministry, and demanded the implementation of the decision. Consequently, a unit of the security forces stopped the works along the river. However, the situation in the region is not going well, especially in light of the decision of those involved in the municipality of Ghalboun to “confront” the decision, given that the issue refers to “8 villages suffering from water shortages, and the function of this station was to solve this dilemma that has been going on for many years “. According to the mayor of Galboun, Elie Gabriel.
Returning to the history of the river and how the events arrived here, Gabriel points out that about nine years ago, the municipality dug a well near the Ghalboun River, to compensate for the water shortage, “as the Ghalboun River used to pump only 20 days a year, and the rest of the days we buy water. ». And because the well was not just for Ghalboun, “but fed 4 villages directly and 4 villages indirectly,” one of the owners near the river gave Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Corporation land to build a pump, and on top of it base, according to Jebrayel, the Foundation built two walls, one of them is 5 meters long, the second is 3 and a half meters long, with a water tank, “according to a technical study.” In the latter’s opinion, “there is no need to study an environmental impact”, since what is being built is a “service” and not a usurpation. And because this is so, “we ask you to allow us to finish the construction, and we only have 4 days left to finish everything.”
However, the grace period requested by Jebrayel does not agree with the accounts of the civil organization that issued two decisions in this regard, one of which was invoked by the acting mayor of Jbeil, Natalie El-Khoury, in her response, which refers to “the work of filling large quantities in the course of the river (…) and the supporting walls of reinforced concrete in the adjacent property”. As for the other report, it was issued the day before yesterday, as indicated by the Judicial Power with the same content and the same complaint.
The Lebanese environmental movement had “circulated” the residents’ complaint to interested parties, referring to photos and documents of the violations that took place. In this context, the president of the movement, Paul Abi Rashid, points out that “the project went from installing a pump to draw water to a pumping station without obtaining a building permit.” Faced with this transformation, Abi Rashid filed a complaint on behalf of the Environmental Movement. The complaint circulated and lasted for three weeks, until the decision was issued yesterday. Do the effects of the decision remain? Or is it canceled by virtue of a fait accompli?
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