Fuheis residents protest Lafarge plans for urban hub

FUHEIS — Dozens of Fuheis residents held a sit-in on Saturday in the city centre in protest against plans to establish a new project on land formerly used by a factory owned by the French company Lafarge.

Some of the protesters called for rehabilitating the land first and assessing the environmental impact of any potential project, citing damage caused by the cement factory, which operated in the area for 65 years, while others said pieces of the land should be distributed to the people of Fuheis, some 20km northwest of Amman, instead.

In February, Lafarge Jordan announced its intention to turn the site into an urban development hub, and in April, the town’s municipality officially approved the plan.

The facilities proposed for the site include a medical centre, public parks, some 165 villas and an educational institute, Fuheis Mayor Huweishel Akroush told The Jordan Times in June.

In a previous interview with The Jordan Times, the company’s CEO Amr Reda said the value of the project would exceed JD2 billion when it is ready.

Fuheis Municipality has approved the projected investment plan.

But civil society organisations and prominent committees in Fuheis rejected the plan.

During their fifth protest this year, civil society organisations and the People’s Committee in Fuheis expressed their rejection of “any proposed projects on the land”.

“We demand that the company study the environmental impact after closing the cement factory,” committee representative Bassam Ziyadat said. 

From Mahes Municipality, Mohammad Abbadi said the cement factory affected the residents of Mahes as well.

“If a new project is proposed to be implemented, Fuheis residents should be able to vote for or against it,” he added.

Sonia Khoury, a young resident of Fuheis, said youths in the city also believe in preserving the land and protecting its environment from pollution.