The National Litani River Authority said in a statement that the intensity of recent rainfall and the rise in the flow of the Litani River and its tributaries, particularly the Ghzayel River, have led to a large accumulation of waste and the blockage of wide sections of the Ghzayel River’s course, constituting a clear violation of public and private property and increasing the risk of flooding.

It added that while the National Litani River Authority stresses that river-cleaning works do not fall within its legal duties or administrative obligations, it nevertheless, out of national responsibility and in coordination with the relevant authorities, took the initiative within its own capabilities and in cooperation with the contractor appointed by the World Bank for the Council for Development and Reconstruction to carry out emergency works to clean the riverbed and remove accumulated waste, in order to prevent any imminent dangers.

The authority called on the concerned municipalities, each within its municipal boundaries, to fulfill their legal duties, particularly in preventing the dumping of waste into riverbeds and taking the necessary deterrent measures against violators. It stressed that decentralization and empowering municipalities are not limited to collecting fees, but also require assuming responsibility for protecting citizens and public and private property. It also announced that it is in the process of documenting and identifying the names of entities and individuals dumping solid waste into the Litani and Ghzayel rivers, in preparation for taking appropriate legal action against them.

The statement concluded by saying that the authority has published documentary photos of the site before the cleanup, to inform public opinion and decision-makers of the seriousness of what is happening in the Litani River’s course and to warn of the serious environmental and structural repercussions resulting from these violations.