A section of government-protected cliffs in Wadi Al Buhair has been demolished due to ‘miscommunication’ despite the site being declared as a natural reserve by royal order, according to a top official.
Concerned locals reached out to the GDN earlier this week to report sightings of drilling machines breaking up the base of one of the few ancient rock formations left in the valley.
Located in East Riffa, geologists say that the eons-old ecological landmark contains ‘many examples of geological phenomena completely unique to Bahrain’ such as ridges embedded with 45-million-year-old fossils.
A lake can also be found in Wadi Al Buhair (‘wadi’ meaning valley and ‘buhair’ meaning ‘little sea’) which is considered an important location for wildlife and remains home to many species of plants and migrating birds.
The site has been undergoing demolition to make way for residential and commercial developments and is under threat of disappearing altogether, campaigning groups fear. Up to two-thirds has already been levelled, it has been reported.
Last July, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime intervened, decreeing that ‘the ecological areas in the valley (terrain and rocky hills) be considered a nature reserve.’
However, Buhair locals were the first to notice the return of drilling machines to the protected areas and informed authorities of the matter.
The GDN went on a visit to the site with Southern Municipal Council chairman Abdulla Abdullatif, who said that the contractor involved had ceased drilling after being notified to stop.
Spray-painted marks and short posts, however, remain all along the side of the ridge, suspected to indicate instructions on the required depth and breadth of the drilling.
Mr Abdullatif called for the contractor to be penalised by the authorities for violating the official directive. “A big part of this cliff has been removed – it has been cut up even though it shouldn’t have been touched.”
He claimed that a representative of the contractor stated that the drilling was merely a ‘trimming’ of the base of the cliffs and the extent of the work came down to a ‘misunderstanding of instructions’.
The councillor fears the drilling now threatens the structural integrity of the ridge. “If you remove the base of anything, it’s bound to collapse,” he claimed.
The contracting company involved has not responded to requests for comment.
As a solution to deter further damage to the site, Mr Abdullatif said that signs and notices would soon be place across the area, stating loud and clear that it is protected.
Environment Friends Society (EFS) leading member Dr Khawla Al Muhannadi and geologist Dr Mubarak Al Noaimi also reached out to the GDN, urging authorities to develop the site as a national geopark.
They stressed its ‘remarkable recreational, educational, research and geo-tourism value,’ while Dr Al Noaimi highlighted that the single-celled formamifera fossils found in abundance there ‘significantly add to its geological and paleontological importance.’
Last year, HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister directed the continuation of urban and infrastructure development in the area, while taking into consideration the preservation of its protected areas.
Prince Salman’s decision came after a campaign launched by the local community and several ecologists calling for a halt to the destruction of the valley.
Around 3,700 people signed an online petition last year titled ‘Save Wadi Al Buhair,’ while environment lovers trekked down the valley seeking the most picturesque spots to paint, photograph and draw.
Musical pieces and poetry were composed and performed in the valley, while geologists, biologists and wildlife experts gave talks about the site’s significance.
Wadi Al Buhair has been recently trending on social media after a TikTok video of people fishing in the lake went viral.
Mr Abdullatif said that the fish were put into the lake, along with frogs and turtles, so that they would consume mosquito larvae and put a stop to the flying menace.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))