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PDC residents tired of being smoked out by illegal burning

Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Residents in Villas del Sol blocked a section of the city’s CTM Avenue Thursday in protest of the ongoing thick smoke being generated by an illegal fire.

Housing development company CADU continues to burn construction garbage even though they are without a permit and have been temporarily shut down for doing so.

The group of angry residents made the roadblock near the offices of the developer Thursday morning.

Residents voiced their concerns at the ongoing burning even though municipal authorities shut down the site. People living in the southwest region near the new development have reported suffering the smoke for months.

The illegal material burning continues even though the site was shut down days ago. Photo: August 7, 2024.

The group kept the road blocked for around two hours before Manuel Araiza, the legal representative of Cadu, arrived and said the problem would be resolved. He made the comment after municipal authorities paid his office a visit.

Araiza has claimed the most recent smoke is from a fire that self-started due to a magnifying effect. He says among the burning debris is glass, which caused the other material to catch fire due to the intense sun.

“We have been working on the fire, but the fire is fueled by oxygen. It is a 20-hectare property. But we will see with the authorities what we can do,” he said in a brief media interview Thursday.

Part of CTM was blocked for around two hours. Photo: August 7, 2024.

Following his statement, residents lifted the blockade but remained waiting outside the property, hoping to be included in the meeting held between municipal authorities and CADU executives.

Earlier this week, the real estate development project was temporarily shut down by municipal authorities, however, the illegal burning continues. The municipality has warned of a permanent closure if they continue.