CAIRO: Tensions are simmering between the Cairo governorate and Emaar Misr for Development over whether to halt the construction on the Uptown Cairo project, according to local press. There are reportedly stirrings of a crisis between the Cairo governorate and Emaar Misr, subsidiary of the UAE-based Emaar Properties, over the continued construction of their project on the Moqattam hill. The governorate had issued a directive to halt all construction works in Moqattam after the Duweiqa rockslide in September until a technical committee it had put together released its findings on the integrity of the hill, especially at its edges. According to local press reports, Emaar is refusing to halt construction on its Uptown Cairo project and is proceeding with the project. Additionally, Emaar had requested from Cairo Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir to clarify the governorate's decision. The public relations firm representing Emaar told Daily News Egypt that it would issue a clarification on the press reports but it was not released by press time Sunday. The rockslide in the shantytown of Duweiqa caused the deaths of at least 105 residents who were crushed when the boulders at the edge of the mountain slid off flattening the makeshift houses underneath. A group named Citizens Against Price Hikes submitted a complaint to the Prosecutor General's office in the wake of the rockslide in which they specifically stipulated that work on the Emaar development project in Moqattam, Uptown Cairo, contributed to the rockslide in Duweiqa. The claimants stated that the watering of large swathes of land for the project contributed to the further erosion of the rocks that were already being watered down due to sewage being disposed through it. Geologist Yehia Qandeel had concurred with this view, saying at a protest at the Journalists' Syndicate last month that the Emaar project in Moqattam partially contributed to the erosion of the rocks. "While constructing the Emaar project, the developers dug into the mountain to create lakes thus adding even more water that would seep in between the rocks, loosening them. This creates an expansion between the rocks, he said. The Uptown Cairo development comprises 11 villages over 4 million square meters in Moqattam. It also includes private clubs, golf courses, swimming pools and hotels.
