The Regavim Movement has sent a strongly worded warning letter to state authorities, demanding an immediate halt to what it described as environmental lawlessness in the Gerar stream, taking place under the auspices of the Rahat municipality.
The stream, which runs through the city for about six kilometers, has become, according to the movement, a hotspot for illegal dumping, burning of waste, and sewage discharge. The letter points to a severe deterioration in the condition of the stream due to enforcement failures by the local authority and state agencies.
Regavim claims that a local slaughterhouse and another facility are systematically discharging wastewater, blood, and poultry carcasses into the stream’s channel. These actions, they say, are creating serious environmental and public health hazards for both humans and animals in the area.
In addition, it is alleged that in recent years many illegal structures have been built along the banks of the stream, contributing to the flow of sewage and dumping of waste into the water.
“We are witnessing criminals taking over land that is not theirs, dumping waste and discharging sewage into the stream while creating severe hazards and exploiting the enforcement vacuum," Regavim wrote. “These actions cause pollution and irreversible damage to the stream, making its rehabilitation impossible."
Regavim is demanding that ministers immediately freeze all development budgets for the Rahat municipality until the stream is fully restored and the hazards are eliminated.
They claim that it is an absurd situation in which the municipality allows the destruction of the stream while simultaneously requesting funding for recreational projects along its polluted banks. Regavim is also demanding immediate explanations from the municipality regarding the ongoing enforcement failure that allows offenders to operate freely.
Alongside the financial demand, the movement is calling on authorities to open a criminal investigation and take enforcement measures, including the closure of the polluting slaughterhouse and facility. They are urging comprehensive monitoring, the formulation of a restoration plan, and prioritization of demolishing illegal structures along the stream. The requested measures also include imposing significant fines on the polluting parties in order to stop the severe environmental damage.