Polluted Electricity
Poisonous emissions claim lives and damage crops

The farmers abhor the land and its crops, citizens only inhale exhausts. Death is closer to everyone than a tomorrow whose secrets no one knows. Either the deadly silence or useless complaints and in both cases the outcome is the same: there is no alternative!

Citizens living near the North Giza power station, as well as their neighbours in the Assiut governorate, suffer from chest diseases, which are common among the residents of Upper Egypt governorate, as a result of pollution from the "Al-Walidiya" power station. In terms of crops, the residents of both regions are undoubtedly losing it!

The figures are frightening, and the complaints go unanswered. The rate of carbon dioxide emissions from power stations in Egypt is increasing dramatically, posing a serious threat to Egyptians, particularly farmers, who are given a choice by power stations and their problems between two things: complete darkness or crop loss, and in both cases, their health deteriorates and may be lost, and they die without guilt or wrongdoing!

This investigation documents the concerns of farmers in the village of Abu Ghaleb, which is adjacent to the North Giza compound plant. In addition, the health crises of citizens living near the Walidiya station in Assiut, which is Egypt's last diesel-powered station and is presently being converted to natural gas.


Investigation: Eman Mounir and Saber Elaraby

Photography: Mohamed Essam

Videography: Abdelrahman Mohamed

Design: Ahmed Becka

This publication was made possible through the Candid Journalism Grant 2021, supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.
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