(haipo) - Bat Galim Promenade, the gem of Haifa's beach, has once again become a familiar and disappointing sight: a beach covered in sand, a natural carpet that blurs the border between the sea and the promenade itself. High waves of the winter of 2024 piled sand on the boardwalk, but days passed and the sand was not cleaned. It was a sunny day and many who took advantage of the beautiful day for a trip, encountered a continuous problem, without proper maintenance by the Haifa Municipality.
It is important to note: this charming promenade touches the water line. It is only natural that the sea waves sometimes pile up sand on the boardwalk. It is part of the close interface between the promenade and the waves of the sea, but with the end of the storm, it is natural that the residents of the city expect proper maintenance, after a few days.
This year, as in every winter, the Bat Galim promenade was filled with sand that covers every corner, giving it the appearance of a beach. With the first storm of the winter, the boardwalk was once again covered in sand, a familiar phenomenon that repeats itself every year. Even in 2024, the problem remains unresolved.
Last year, at exactly the same time, the boardwalk turned into a sort of beach, with visitors feeling as if they were walking on the beach itself. Carts got stuck, sand got into the shoes, and the experience became a challenge, but unlike in the past, when this happened following a powerful storm, this year the boardwalk was flooded with sand without any interference from extreme weather.
Yesterday, 30/11/24 on a sunny and calm Saturday, a few days after the announcement of the ceasefire, many residents of Haifa went to the Bat Galim Promenade to breathe some air and return to their routine, freed from the fear of alarms and missiles. The boardwalk was full of people and families looking for moments of peace, but the welcome that awaited them was far from inviting: instead of an orderly boardwalk, they found themselves walking on a makeshift beach, with heavy sand covering every corner.
The sand not only made walking challenging, but also got into shoes and socks, which made it difficult for children who wanted to play on bicycles, scooters and bimbas, and had to give up the experience. Families with strollers also encountered a significant obstacle, when the strollers sank in the sand, requiring great physical effort to drag them forward. What was supposed to be a pleasant trip turned into a test of patience and strength for the visitors.
Safety hazards on the boardwalk
Beyond the sand that made walking an obstacle, pedestrians also encounter serious safety hazards. Broken iron railings, potholes in the surf club's asphalt and a tripping hazard turned the walk into a trip with significant risks.
When will a solution come?
In a city like Haifa, which boasts magnificent beaches, it was expected to find a solution to the familiar problem. But even in 2024, it seems that the solutions are not in sight. Instead of enjoying the boardwalk, the residents are forced to deal with hazards and malfunctions that embarrass a city that seeks to be a leading tourist center. The time has come for Haifa Municipality to deal with the problem, find a permanent solution and invest in proper maintenance of the promenade. The city's residents and visitors deserve it.
The Haifa Municipality responded:
"The municipal administration directed the preparation of a plan to renew the Bat Galim Promenade, which is one of the oldest promenades in Haifa. In the meantime, the boardwalk is maintained and cleaned on a regular basis, as evidenced by the photos of the boardwalk and the maintenance work carried out on the spot yesterday."
As a former Bat Galim resident who still nostalgically embraces the beautiful neighborhood that was. The historic Bat Galim beach was a bit wild and beautiful. In my opinion and in the opinion of my childhood friends, they ruined a gem for us. The same goes for the casino and the pool. The boardwalk did not exist in its current state. The sea has always been there and always will be. In the past there was a built wall and a railing along the boardwalk or part of it. The wall partially prevented the sand from covering the path. You cannot fight the forces of nature.
You have to take care of the boardwalk every day. I hope they will decide and act to build a new Olympic pool and a sports center instead of the casino.
A beach is a beach is sand
If that's how nature is and that's where the sea wants to go, then it should be left that way
Cyclists and cyclists will be honored to walk in places that suit them without destroying nature
what's the problem sand. sea. All the time complaints. The boardwalk is magical and charming. Enjoy it as long as it is natural and wild. A magical corner that the municipality plans to destroy with the construction of access roads on it. The only maintenance required on the boardwalk is to put a guard unit at night against Israel-hating criminals who take over it at night and terrorize it. And also a prayer that there will be wisdom in the municipal authority that will force the developers to build nicely. Add color to the calf from balconies and decorations. It is strange to see a municipality that seeks to sabotage and destroy the vision of the City of Gardens just for the sake of a gluttonous construction dense with cheap materials. sea. sand. have fun
Wait..one by one..pigs first
. Please do not disturb the mayor. He is not your age
Come on, Samra...deal with meaningful things, don't play in the sand...grow up a little, Samra!
I read and am amazed, because I was on the boardwalk (roughly in the middle of the section between the casino and the cable car) on 1/12 before noon and it was clean.
The sea is rising every year more and more and the weather is also becoming extreme which means there will be a huge flood in Bat Galim and don't say we didn't know how could you have known. The Bat Galim Promenade needs to be rebuilt about 2 meters higher to prepare for climate change and this will prevent a large part of the problems of flooding and covering with sand
Why do you need the last paragraph 3 times... proofreading?? anyone anything???
*Municipality does not function, appointments, most of the time there are no actions... and how sad, miserable and annoying the main thing is property taxes go up and up and up where does the money go where???
Why not proofread before publication? 31.11.2024? There is no such date!!
Shiona Yahav will take as an example the beautiful city of Netanya.
We have a more beautiful city than Netanya and all the cities in the country, but cleanliness and maintenance is very lame! rope!
Be fair. Call and check with the municipality before you visit it. Immediately after the storm the boardwalk was cleared of sand. And the "pit" you photographed, with a depth of 4 mm (lol...) has existed for many years, someone stepped on the concrete before it dried, leaving a footprint. There are more important issues, which you don't touch.
Galbhart keeps his replacement in the greens who will be in charge of the neighborhoods... but what has the person in charge of the neighborhoods been doing for more than half a year that he has been in charge of the neighborhoods???
If there was someone else in charge of the neighborhoods, Galbhart would also say that everything is relatively fine there??? Answer yourself.
Please don't hurt him..they are in the same age group..run the pig field