Within the framework of the ambitious Royal programme "Rabat City of Lights: Morocco's Cultural Capital", which aims to transform the capital into one of the world's major metropolises, a series of strategic projects have been launched to improve infrastructure, preserve the environment, enhance heritage, and boost the quality of life for residents. This vision, launched by King Mohammed VI, is embodied in projects aimed at enhancing the city's aesthetics, developing transport facilities, and providing local services worthy of Morocco's capital.
Despite the significant achievements made under this programme, some essential districts, led by the "South Hassan" district, still face challenges that threaten this ambitious vision.
The Hassan district is located in the strategic heart of Rabat and hosts prominent landmarks such as the Mausoleum of the Kings of Morocco, alongside political, diplomatic, and administrative institutions. All these factors make it the city's showcase, yet it suffers from problems that reflect a lack of sufficient attention from the responsible authorities.
The "South Hassan" district has become a symbol of chaos and negligence, with a noticeable deterioration in the urban environment and a lack of respect for environmental standards, which contradicts Morocco's international commitments in this area. Furthermore, this district, which is supposed to reflect the vision of the Royal programme, suffers from a low level of services and poor urban planning, which harms the capital's appearance and negatively affects the quality of life of the residents.
The situation in this district does not align with the requirements of Article 31 of the Moroccan Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to decent housing and a healthy environment. Moreover, the continuation of the status quo reflects a decline in the efforts made to achieve integrated urban development, which is the essence of the "Rabat City of Lights" vision.
What is required today is firm intervention from the responsible authorities to rehabilitate this district and ensure its alignment with the standards set by the ambitious programme. Only through these steps can Rabat regain its sparkle as a city pulsating with culture and beauty, and embody the Kingdom's ambitions to achieve sustainable and comprehensive urban development.
Residential or industrial district?
Although the "South Hassan" district was originally intended to be a quiet residential area, it has unfortunately turned into a semi-industrial zone due to the random spread of car repair shops and other professions of a "noisy" nature, which has significantly harmed the quality of life of the residents.
One of the residents, who preferred to remain anonymous, spoke about the presence of "car repair shops operating randomly in the middle of the alleys, creating constant noise and using inappropriate language throughout working hours," confirming that "this situation is not limited to noise pollution, but also includes the emission of thick, polluting smoke from cars, which forced residents to close their windows as if they were living in cells, deprived of natural ventilation."
The complainant added that "the aggravation of the problem is also manifested in the narrowness of these shops, which pushes their owners to occupy sidewalks and surrounding alleys, which has led to the spread of engine oils and leaked fuels on the roads, causing dangerous environmental pollution," highlighting that "the damage does not stop there, but has reached residential buildings that have become covered in layers of black, not to mention the foul odours and harmful gases that directly affect the health of the residents."
He continued: "More dangerously, some of these shops work on car painting using toxic chemicals primarily intended for closed factories, which poses a serious threat to human health as confirmed by the competent judicial authorities. In addition, flammable gases and materials are used that are supposed to be used in secured industrial sites, which exposes the district to the risk of explosions or fires that could be catastrophic at any moment."
The residents of the district believe that this deteriorating situation requires urgent intervention from the concerned authorities to impose strict regulation and curb this chaos, to protect the rights of the residents to live in a healthy and safe environment as stipulated by the Constitution.
A haven for chaos and deviance
The residents of the district do not only complain about this situation during the day; as soon as the shops close their doors, they find themselves suffering from another kind of problem. A second complainant said in this regard: "The district has become a haven for the homeless and those prone to deviance who occupy its alleys to engage in various forms of rowdiness and disgraceful behaviour. These manifestations vary between drinking alcohol, drug abuse, and holding noisy gatherings interspersed with fights and foul language."
The same source spoke about what he described as the "cursed tree" within the area, which is a large tree located in the heart of a crossroads inside the district, which was supposed to be a natural element adding an aesthetic and environmental touch, "however, under this tree, many people gather to stay up late, drink alcohol, and use drugs, making it a constant source of disturbance, amidst the disregard of the responsible authorities despite repeated reports from the residents."
Another complainant said that "there are empty plots of land on Moulay Ismail Street, which were supposed to be surrounded by fences to protect them or prepared for use in organised activities, but they have turned into open halls for drunkenness and rowdiness and dens of corruption, which doubles the suffering of the district's residents."
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