Algae causes stink on Palm Jumeirah

DUBAI // A clean-up team has been drafted on to the Palm Jumeirah after complaints from residents about strong-smelling algae collecting along its shoreline. For the past few weeks tenants living along fronds C and D of the artificial island, where garden homes cost up to Dh12 million (US$3.27m), have complained that the substance has left the area stinking "like sewage". Nakheel, the developer of the Palm, confirmed that the algae had been identified at locations around Palm Jumeirah. It said the phenomenon was common in summer, when warmer waters and increased sunlight provided perfect conditions for it to grow. One resident said: "I don't like to whinge, particularly with the current climate and with people losing their jobs, but when you pay a lot of money for a property on the Palm you want problems like this to be sorted out. "When you have children, in the summer you don't want them to be in the house all day. "You want them to be able to use the pool or the beach but neither was possible a week ago because of the smell." Early yesterday a clean-up team removed the remnants of algae from the shoreline. The smell had all but disappeared and the water appeared clear again. If left to spread, algae can cause problems as it decomposes because it reduces oxygen levels in the water, which kills fish. "The quality of Palm Jumeirah's waterways is a top priority for Nakheel," the developer said. "Daily inspections and monthly water quality analysis is undertaken by our environmental team to ensure that the water quality is appropriate for swimmers and beach users. "The findings of Nakheel's monitoring programme provide direction to the management response. "Nakheel has a dedicated team removing any floating algae using a skimmer boat, while beach clean-up teams are collecting any algae washed up on the shore." loatway@thenational.ae