Waste management plan in final stages

Sharjah Municipality is working on a project for comprehensive management of solid waste. The project, which will help recycle and yield byproducts from solid wastes, will be announced soon, according to the annual report released by the civic body on its achievements and projects.

Currently, the municipality has agreements with private companies for recycling and managing solid wastes, with the firms assigned to collect paper, glass, aluminium and steel, and transfer them to private recycling plants.

The focus now is on follow-up and controlling toxic and dangerous waste produced by different industries, to guarantee safe disposal. Manufacturers have to follow stringent guidelines to help reduce waste production, and ensure safe disposal.

Meanwhile, the municipality's fertiliser plant recycled 230 tonnes of different wastes, including grass and other matter, with the remainder dumped at the designated dumping site.

A notable achievement this year was the production of 'Al Waha' fertiliser from grass, tree branches and leaves. The product, with an organic content of 50 per cent, proved very effective.

The fertiliser plant's production meets the needs of the municipality's greenery projects, with the excess sold to the public. The plant was established in 1978.

The civic body is also focusing efforts on ensuring the environment remains free from pollution. It holds campaigns right through the year to educate the public about the risks posed by pollution, and about its own role in maintaining the environment.

The campaign targets different sectors of society, including children, students, teenagers, parents, factory owners, workers and professionals. Such education is achieved by lectures, seminars and conferences, apart from leveraging the media.

Other activities include the distribution of posters, organising cultural and art competitions especially for students and children, and clean-up campaigns that highlight environmental issues and ensure widespread public participation.

The most distinguished environmental project this year was the clean-up of Al Hamriyah beach, with the accompanying campaign stressing an intensive awareness programme to educate the public, especially neighbouring residents, on the importance of keeping the beaches clean.

A large number of volunteers from different companies and schools participated.

The municipality is keen to have a skilled technical staff and comprehensive facilities to carry out chemical, physical and biological measurements to help keep pollution rates well within international standards.

The body carries out inspection campaigns to ensure factories - whose numbers are high in Sharjah - comply with the permitted limits and do not cause environmental pollution.