Playa del Carmen Residents Face Health Crisis from Trash Fires

PLAYA DEL CARMEN — Residents of the Bali and La Joya subdivisions have reported ongoing issues with the burning of trash and jungle areas in their vicinity, which they say has caused health problems for families and affected students and individuals engaging in sports activities in an area that also contains a school.

According to the inhabitants, this problem is not new. "We have smoke every day; it is unbearable, and the most affected are the children, they have started to get sick," they stated.

They indicated that they had approached municipal and state authorities on multiple occasions in search of solutions. However, the response has not been effective thus far.

They recalled that several months ago, as a temporary measure, authorities closed one of the streets where trash burning was detected, but the action proved insufficient. "The only thing they did was block an access point, and the people who burn simply moved to another spot. The problem remains the same or worse," expressed the dissatisfied residents.

The residents reiterated that the constant inhalation of smoke has caused respiratory ailments in both adults and children. Furthermore, it represents a risk to safety and the environment, as the burning is taking place in an area considered to be low jungle.

The affected parties have once again called for the intervention of environmental authorities and Civil Protection to halt these practices, which they assert have turned the area into a danger to public health.