The residents' cry • Continuous neglect in the neighborhood led to the injury of an 80-year-old woman

(Hai Fe) - The Verdia neighborhood, which is considered one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Haifa, finds itself in recent years facing continuous neglect by the municipality - so claim the residents of the neighborhood. Dilapidated sidewalks, cleaning problems, and safety hazards make the residents' lives a continuous challenge and in the last case even exacted a particularly painful price - the injury of an 80-year-old woman.

Just yesterday, Wednesday 4/12/24, the unfortunate incident happened that illustrated the dangers on the neighborhood sidewalks. An 80-year-old woman tripped while walking on a sidewalk, which according to residents' testimony, the paving stones "dance" and are not straight. As a result of the fall, she suffered severe injuries to her face and body. The elderly woman was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for many hours in the emergency department, suffering from a broken finger, severe injuries to her face and body, and additional damage to her eye.

Her daughter, a resident of Verdia, (her name is withheld in the system) said: "My mother came to visit me and on her way back from the nearest supermarket she came across a sidewalk with uneven bumps and stones. She tripped and fell very badly. Now she needs a long rest and continued treatment and supervision. She is an elderly woman And luckily the fall ended with only dry bruises and a broken finger and not a serious fracture of the pelvis or a more serious injury."

"We, the residents of Verdia, have repeatedly warned the municipality about the neglect, but so far nothing has been done. In almost all the sidewalks where stones fit together, the stones have come out of place or moved. This is a very dangerous safety hazard, especially for the elderly and children."

Many other problems in the neighborhood

This case does not stand on its own, but joins other problems troubling the residents of Vardia. One of the main complaints is about the street that is closed to the residents of the old neighborhood - the new road, which connects the neighborhood to Arik Sharon Street, and is opened for use only by the residents of the new neighborhood. A matter that has already received coverage in "Hai Fe".

And in a published article, Lahi Pa was given a response regarding the road: "The road has not yet been completed and is currently being used as an organizing area for the construction of the last buildings in the complex. The road should only be opened when construction is finished. However, due to the security situation, the municipality is working to open the crossing in an emergency as long as it is possible for vehicles to pass through as well In the closed section." As for complaints about driving speed, this will be checked according to the criteria used in the municipality."

Billy Baruch, a resident of the neighborhood and an activist on behalf of the residents in the neighborhood, said that she contacted the municipality's legal advisor about the matter: "The law requires freedom of movement for everyone, but the municipality restricts the movement of residents in part of the neighborhood. This is an intolerable situation."

Serious neglect in cleaning the neighborhood

"We pay high property taxes, and in return we receive only basic services, such as trash removal. But safe sidewalks and cleaning? That's too much to ask for," says another resident.

The residents of Vardia are calling on the Haifa municipality to take responsibility for the condition of the neighborhood and to start thoroughly dealing with hazards. "It's not a matter of prestige, but of basic safety and a dignified life," emphasizes the daughter of the elderly woman who was injured.

This case is a warning sign, and certainly not the last, if the problems are not addressed immediately. The residents of the neighborhood demand not only promises, but also actions on the ground - repairing the sidewalks, cleaning the neighborhood, and solving the problem of freedom of movement - for the sake of the quality of life and the safety of all the residents.

The Haifa Municipality responded: "The Vardia neighborhood, like other neighborhoods in the city, is cleaned regularly and every day. The cleaning is carried out by the employees of the sanitation department manually and with the help of mechanical tools, which include, among other things, a crane for removing trimmings and scraps that operates in the neighborhood every day. In the meantime, the municipality purchased trucks and concrete tools designed to improve the quality of cleaning in all the neighborhoods of the city. These tools include, among others:

15 mechanical tiot machines that include washing systems, three-articulated trucks for collecting trimmings and scraps, and combined compactor crane trucks for ground and buried positions. Along with all these, it should be noted that during this period we are in the middle of the dropout period and therefore even after the cleaning workers clean the street may get dirty again. The road connecting the new Vardia with the Vardia neighborhood is supposed to open only when the construction is finished. At the same time, because of the security situation, the municipality is working to open the crossing in an emergency whenever it is possible for vehicles to pass even in the closed section.

Regarding complaints about hazards on the sidewalks. The issue is handled proactively and regularly by the Roads Department. In addition, residents who encounter a point hazard are invited to contact the municipal hotline 106 and the matter will be dealt with immediately."