Smell, Noise, and Dangerous Pollution: Bedouin Schools in the Negev Call to Replace Generators with Solar Power
The NGO Sikkuy-Aufoq published a petition to replace polluting generators with solar panels in Bedouin schools in the Negev. A 2023 report by the Ministry of Environmental Protection found noise exceeding the limit by 20% in Bir Hadaj. Estimates by Adam Teva V'Din for Abu Suleib: 118.84 kg of PM2.5, 1,690 kg of nitrogen oxides, 62,870 kg of CO2 per year. Annual generator operating cost is 430,000 shekels versus 160,000 shekels for electricity in Ramat Gan. Dr. Jinan Abu Shtaya calls for immediate action.
The NGO 'Sikkuy-Aufoq for Equality and Partnership' published a petition this week calling for the installation of solar panels in Bedouin schools in the Negev, instead of the polluting and noisy generators currently in use. In unrecognized villages, educational institutions operate with generators adjacent to classrooms. A 2023 report by the Ministry of Environmental Protection found that noise at the school in Bir Hadaj exceeded the permitted level by 20%. The NGO 'Adam Teva V'Din' estimated that the generator in Abu Suleib, which consumes 25,000 liters of diesel per year, emits 118.84 kg of PM2.5 particles, more than 1,690 kg of nitrogen oxides, 111 kg of sulfur oxides, 62,870 kg of carbon dioxide, and 358 grams of benzene, increasing the risk of respiratory diseases. Dr. Jinan Abu Shtaya, project coordinator in the Negev, notes that dozens of institutions operate on generators, and thousands of students from kindergarten to 12th grade are affected. In the Neve Midbar Regional Council there are about 40 educational institutions, and in Al-Kasom about 18 generators. The average annual generator operating cost is 430,000 shekels, compared to 160,000 shekels for electricity for a school in Ramat Gan. Abu Shtaya calls for a permanent connection to the electricity grid, and in parallel, the installation of solar panels as an interim solution, while removing barriers such as lack of access roads and building permits. She demands immediate action before the start of the school year.