Al Awir vegetable market faces water shortage

Al Aweer Central Fruits and Vegetable Market accommodation is facing severe water shortage for many days, resulting in retailers not able to wash their food stuff and themselves, raising personal hygiene issue among the consumers.

“We are not able to take bath, go to the toilet or even brush our teeth. Without fulfilling these daily routine hygienic requirements, we have to work in the Fruits and Vegetable Market and handle all food products,” said an Asian worker of a leading fruits and vegetable vendor living in the Dubai Municipality Accommodation for Al Awir Fruits and Vegetable Market.

There are more than 350 wholesale and retail shops selling fruits and vegetables. About six thousand employees who work for these traders are living in the labour accommodation blocks, located close to the market.

“He said there are eight buildings, each with more than 70 flats and in many flats ten people are living, sharing a common toilet. As there is no water, our toilets are stinking and we have to find alternative sources for taking bath or toilets. Most people throng an adjacent mosque or come to the market and do these basic human requirements,” he added.

"If the customers know that we have not taken bath or brushed our teeth for a couple of days due to water shortage, they may skip the shops," he added.

“As there is no water, we cannot cook food or wash our utensils or clothes. As the temperature is reportedly near 50 degree celcious, how can we take rest and report for duty every month,” asked another worker.

“The water shortage problems have been haunting us for the last several months. The maintenance team came and repaired it more than once, but as they are using substandard plumbing material and the pipe burst again. When there is pipe burst, there is no water supply in the rooms,” added another worker. “There are only four big restaurants and there is no food always because most of the workers who used to cook in their rooms are now depending on restaurants. Not all the workers can be accommodated in these restaurants.

“Water supply is not coming for 12-24 hours and even if it comes, entire water is consumed immediately. We have to attend work without even washing, cleaning our clothes or even brushing the teeth. We get exhausted soon because it is too hot and don’t have many restaurants here,” said H, another Asian worker, who shares one room with 9 co-workers.

The employers are also not able to fix the problem, leaving an entire residential complex too close to the Fruits and Vegetable market, stinking without water.  Employers said that they have paid for the water supply and the frequent water supply disruption is very severely affecting the morale of the work force and even their personnel hygiene. They work in a sensitive food industry and the Municipality which is supposed to maintain a clean and hygienic standard should take immediate action.

Dubai Municipality sources said they will look into the problem.

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