Doha: Qatar will mark World Cleanup Day today to emphasise public hygiene as a fundamental pillar of sustainable development.
In his message on the occasion, Minister of Municipality H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie said the Ministry of Municipality is working to provide hygiene services in all parts of the country, in accordance with the highest international standards and specifications.
The Minister said public cleanliness is not limited to the efforts and duties of a specific authority in the country, but rather it is a daily behaviour that everyone should abide by, as it is everyone’s responsibility, and maintaining it has a religious duty and a shared responsibility among all institutions and members of society.
H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, Minister of Municipality
Within the framework of the Ministry’s interest in the issue of public cleanliness and waste recycling, necessary measure were taken to issue, activate and implement various laws and legislation that contribute to achieving the Ministry’s objectives in this field, especially with regard to waste collection and its proper and safe disposal in accordance with the highest international standards.
Two ministerial decisions were issued recently. One of them, requiring all institutions and authorities concerned to sort waste at source, will be effective from next month.
The second decision related to setting rules for the use of plastic bags and prohibiting the use of single-use plastic bags because of their negative impact on the environment, within the framework of Qatar’s efforts to preserve the environment and its safety and achieve sustainable development.
In this context, the Minister referred to the integrated national programme for sorting waste at source, which was launched within the framework of achieving the objectives of the Ministry’s sustainable strategic plan.
The Minister of Municipality said Qatar is making continuous efforts in the field of recycling, treating waste and converting it into energy, through an integrated national programme for waste management, and establishing a dedicated place for recycling factories in Al Afja area. The plan envisages 50 factories undertaking various recycling operations.
The Ministry also launched the zero waste campaign at the beginning of this year, with the aim of developing a system for waste management, encouraging investment in the field of recycling, and supporting community participation in this field, to improve the quality of living and sustainable development, achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Minister commended the efforts made by the authorities concerned with hygiene in the Ministry in recent years. He said that these efforts contributed to maintaining cleanliness and reducing negative impacts on public health and safety.
Director of General Cleanliness Department at the Ministry, Moqbel Mazhour Al Shammari, said World Cleanup Day is one of the most important events at the global level.
He said the day emphasises the importance of cooperation and concerted efforts by all to maintain public hygiene and environmental health, whether at the global or national level.
Al Shammari said World Cleanup Day is celebrated all over the world on the third Saturday of September every year, with the aim of enhancing the value and importance of cleanliness and raising awareness among all members and institutions of society, to reduce waste and sources of pollution.
The General Cleanliness Department, he said, is implementing many plans, programmes and campaigns to improve the level of cleanliness in Qatar, most notably the programme for sorting waste at source.
Al Shammari said the programme aims to provide public hygiene services with a high quality and increase the use of recyclable materials to preserve the natural resources and achieve the sustainable development plans under Qatar National Vision 2030.
The World Cleanup Day is an important occasion to highlight the efforts made by General Cleanliness Department on a daily basis by collecting household waste and cleaning streets, roads, squares, parks, beaches and all public places, to keep them clean, healthy and safe.
