A new ecological scandal is shaking the city of Tangier. According to revelations published by *Al Akhbar*, large volumes of leachate – this highly toxic liquid resulting from the decomposition of waste – are said to have been discharged directly into the sea, without prior authorization or adequate treatment. An alarming situation that has led several deputies to call on the authorities, with supporting evidence.
Videos show a tanker truck emptying its dark contents on the beach of Merkala, just a short distance from the busiest areas of the Tangier bay. A sea that is supposed to be a natural heritage, a lever for tourism development, and a symbol of the beauty of the northern coastline.
Behind this pollution lies the very operation of the waste burial and recovery center that is being questioned. The company in charge of managing the El Manzla site is accused of circumventing basic environmental rules, in the absence of operational infrastructure for treating leachate. Worse still, elected officials claim to have raised the alarm for months without receiving clear responses.
Despite massive public investments injected to ensure sustainable waste management in the region, source separation remains marginal, and no treatment station for toxic liquids has been established to date. The project, intended to be a model of modernity and respect for environmental standards, is turning into a fiasco.
On the side of the Tangier municipality, there is a troubling silence. As evidence mounts and anger grows, the local government has yet to issue any statement. This attitude is all the more criticized as the city has never failed to boast about its environmental policy in its official communications.
Parliamentarians are now warning about the immediate dangers: health risks for swimmers and residents, irreversible degradation of the marine ecosystem, loss of biodiversity… and a tarnished image internationally for a city that is betting heavily on beach tourism.
Amid the opacity of management, technical shortcomings, and vague political responsibilities, this case raises a broader question: that of environmental governance in Morocco’s major cities. In Tangier, the sea is beginning to demand accountability.
With Al Akhbar
