July 15th, 2009 @ kadraoui
AN awareness campaign on a new garbage collection system for Manama has been extended to November to cover wider sections of the community.
The new system had been scheduled to begin earlier this year, but the date has been pushed back to further increase awareness.
The GDN reported in January that the Manama Municipal Council had already started contacting Bahraini and expat organizations about the new plan. The scheme, which begins with a three-month trial, marks an end to large skips, which often end up overflowing with rubbish. Alternatively, people will be able to use smaller public bins or leave garbage near their front doors for collection between 9pm and 11pm. Council services and public utilities committee chairman Sadiq Rahma said that the scheme was postponed to give more time for the awareness campaign it had put together to become effective. “It requires more time to let people be aware of this campaign,” he said. “Only then will the new system be successful.” Mr Rahma said he has already met Indian Ambassador Dr George Joseph to discuss raising awareness of the new scheme in the Indian community. “We are trying to meet every community head or official to help us raise awareness,” he said.
In September, neighbourhoods in the Capital Governorate will be presented with brochures explaining the new system and board signs will be placed on the streets. “The awareness campaign will run for two months to make sure everyone understands the new system,” he said.
“After this the system will be introduced in November in blocks 314 and 330 in Naim and gradually move to other neighbourhoods. “It will slowly be implemented to cover my constituency (Manama suq area, Naim, Ghufool and Burhama),” said Mr Rahma. “Later it will move to other areas until it covers all neighbourhoods in the governorate.” The council had been receiving complaints from people about smells from large containers placed in front of their homes where all their neighbours dump refuse to be collected by cleaning companies. Large containers in old neighbourhoods were also causing traffic congestion in narrow lanes. Mr Rahma maintains that such containers take up a lot space, which meant that people had less space to park their cars. “Our system is simple, people will just have to keep garbage bags in front of their door steps from 9pm to 11pm for cleaners to collect them,” he said. “They can also easily drop off their garbage bags in containers off the main streets, outside their neighbourhoods, anytime of the day.”
basma@gdn.com.bh
Tags: Garbage, Gulf Daily News, Press