Casablanca’s Beaches Face Ecological Crisis as Industrial Waste Pollutes Shoreline

The beaches of Casablanca, and mainly that of Paloma Beach, located in Zenata, north of the city, are experiencing an ecological disaster. Through videos posted on social networks, the residents denounced the discharge of industrial wastewater on this beach through a pipe normally reserved for the evacuation of rainwater.

The Zenata Development Company (SAZ), in charge of the management of this city, acknowledged the facts in question. The water pipe in question "allows the excess rainwater from the Chellalate basins to be channeled to the Paloma beach," it specifies in a press release.

Faced with the inaction of the authorities after their denunciations, the residents demanded the opening of an investigation and the prosecution of the perpetrators of these crimes against the environment.

"An investigation is underway and appropriate solutions will be provided quickly," reassures the SAZ, which nevertheless emphasizes the non-completion of the pipe work, creating a source of insecurity for the riverside populations of all the beaches of Casablanca, thus exposed to the risk of rapid pollution.

According to the national report, cited by Maroc Hebdo, on the monitoring of the quality of bathing waters on the beaches, the latter complied with the microbiological quality standards at 98.43% in 2019. The beaches of Oued Merzek in Casablanca, Ejebil in Tangier and Aïn Atik in Skhirate are the most polluted, according to the report.