By Mohammed Osman
DOHA: Under the directives of the Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi to keep all parts of the country clean and hygienic, the General Cleanness Department at the Ministry launched a massive cleanliness drive during Eid holidays and deployed hundreds of workers and 947 garbage trucks for three days.
The cleaning workers, including emergency teams, carried out their duties successfully on hundreds of streets and neighbourhoods in all municipalities and beaches except on the Corniche where a small stretch was littered with garbage as a large number of workers had gathered on the first day of Eid hindering the work of cleaning staff, said Safar Al Shafi, Director of the General Cleanness Project at the MME.
Al Shafi pointed out that the Corniche area has 503 fixed bins at a distance of ten metres each, in addition to 70 bins at gathering places like Sheraton park and the public park of the Museum of Islamic Art. He added that there are cleaners working round the clock in three shifts to keep the area tidy as it is one of the most popular gathering places in Doha.
On the first day of Eid, over 10,000 workers visited the centre stretch of Corniche from 6am to 10pm, leaving behind eight tonnes of garbage removed within four hours by the emergency team, Al Shafi added. The drive necessitated the deployment of an emergency team of 200 cleaners and 25 trucks.
Ministry to organise clean-up awareness campaign
The garbage combined of plastic bags, bottles, papers and cups. Al Shafi explained that the work continued for five hours from 8pm till 1am, although the incident triggered discussions on the social media.
“We are going to conduct awareness programmes to address some behavioural problems in society and among workers in particular,” said Al Shafi, pointing out that the campaign will be in Arabic, English and Urdu. It’s important to make people aware of the law regulating cleanliness and educate them about punishment for violations, he added.
“Residents need to appreciate the services provided by the government in this regard, and they must cooperate to keep all areas tidy and hygienic to maintain a healthy living environment in the country and avoid wrong behaviours,” he said.
Cleaning efforts during Eid were not limited to the Corniche or public places and streets alone but also covered beaches like Sealine and beaches in the northern part of the country.
In Sealine area, there are 16 fixed bins and during Eid and other social gathering occasions, there are additional 20 bins at a distance of 50 metres each, said Al Shafi.
Despite the presence of these waste bins, there are people who do not use them and throw the garbage in open areas or around the bins, he stressed.
There is a close coordination between the department, municipalities and concerned authorities in the markets, slaughterhouses, public parks, and areas surrounding commercial complexes to ensure cleanliness in these vital areas.
It’s in the interest of all residents, including citizens and expatriates as part of a priority for public hygiene, Al Shafi told The Peninsula.
The Peninsula
