DUBAI // Developer Nakheel has taken stopgap measures to clean the lake water at the luxury Jumeirah Islands development, more than a month after it was found to contain clumps of algae and high levels of ammonia.
The water, a main feature encircling the development's 700 villas, was tested on October 5 by an independent accredited laboratory, which found the algae and high ammonia levels.
Maintenance workers have now removed some of the green algae - as they periodically do - although the older, whitened algae is visible along the shoreline.
For months, residents had complained of the smell, the algae and also mosquitoes, thought to be breeding in the stagnant water.
Nakheel attributed the problem to poor circulation. The water is drawn from the Gulf and is supposed to be pumped out daily to prevent such problems.
"Nakheel is taking temporary measures in terms of cleaning the lakes and repairing the circulation system," a spokesperson said. "We are in the process of engaging expertise on the lakes to evaluate it and advise on the way ahead for a sustainable water quality and lakes environment."
The spokesperson declined to specify what temporary measures it had taken, or to provide a timetable for its long-term fixes.
One resident of Jumeirah Islands said that in the past month he had seen workers plucking algae from the water.
They had done this before the water was tested, too, he said, but continued to leave behind the whitened algae on the land next to the lakes.
"You can see froth along the edges," he said.
The shore of one small lake, just steps from residents' back yards, also remained lined with whitened algae, giving off a faint smell. Weeds had begun to grow over parts of it. The green algae that had floated in the small lake a month ago, however, had been removed.
In the test last month the water was found to contain three times the level of ammonia permitted by the Dubai Municipality for "bodies of water that discharge to land", the category closest to lake water.
In an open area, ammonia can give off a bad smell and exacerbate respiratory problems such as asthma, especially in children.
The lake also contained 30 times the legal amount of "total dissolved solids", which can cause water to harden and clog the underwater pipes that are supposed to circulate the water. It was also found to have twice the legal amount of "total suspended solids", which derive from waste thrown in the water and can discolour it.
Owners also complained of mosquitoes. Although microbiological contaminants such as mosquito larvae were not found in the test, several experts said the water may have been too hot at the time to host them.
"If the aeration [from the current pump] is not enough, basically they have to change it, or do something," said Walid Saleh, a Dubai-based expert at the Institute for Water, Environment and Health at the United Nations University. "It cannot just be left like that, or it will become a swamp."
chuang@thenational.ae
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Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Sri Lanka Tharanga (c), Mathews, Dickwella (wk), Gunathilaka, Mendis, Kapugedera, Siriwardana, Pushpakumara, Dananjaya, Sandakan, Perera, Hasaranga, Malinga, Chameera, Fernando.
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The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
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Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
