Committee to study environmental situation in Sahab

AMMAN — The Ministry of Environment is forming a committee to study the environmental situation in Sahab, where over 400 industries and scores of licensed and unlicensed workshops are located, an official said Tuesday.

The committee, which will include members from the Ministry of Environment and related institutions in Sahab, is expected to assess the industrial town’s environment conditions and factories’ adherence to environment laws and regulations, according to an official at the Ministry of Environment.

“The committee will later come up with recommendations that address Sahab’s environment problems,” the official said, noting that the decision to form the committee came after Environment Minister Taher Shakhshir visited the town this week.

Located southeast of Amman, Sahab has an approximate population of 90,000 people. It is home to the King Abdullah II Industrial Estate, which is one of the largest industrial estates in the Kingdom.

“An office at the industrial estate will be established for officials from the Ministry of Environment to closely monitor environment conditions in Sahab,” said the official, who requested anonymity.

With more than 2,500 plastic scrap grinding workshops scattered across the town, the ministry is also looking into the relocation of the workshops away from residential areas, according to the official, who underscored that the step seeks to protect the interests of residents as well as business owners.