The emirate has drawn up stringent rules to protect beaches and marine life. Awareness campaigns and more research will be conducted to keep the Sharjah coastline free of pollution.
Municipal inspections will soon follow to ensure the rules are observed.
Residents enjoy a day at the Al Fisht beach in Sharjah. ©Gulf News |
"Municipal and port staff will ensure the adherence to the marine protection rules, which are ready for implementation," Dr Khan said at a lecture to train municipal staff on the new rules.
He said: "Pollution destroys marine life and threatens human health."
Sharjah has 50 kilometres of coastline and there is a need to protect them. He said oil, sewage, rubbish, chemicals and excessive fertiliser are the main causes of marine pollution.
The new regulations stem from chapter two of the federal law 24 for 1999, which requires the authorities to protect the UAE's marine and beach environment.
They call for tough sanctions against polluters and the imposition of strict beach regulations. People at beaches and onboard vessels in ports will be asked to follow rules that ban littering.
But he said Sharjah Municipality also needs to apply new technologies such as bio-remediation, pre-treatment and waste recycling to help prevent possible marine pollution.
Ports, he said, will observe their own strict prevention regulations on spill contingency, littering and the imposition of fines. Port staff will be trained to enhance these regulations.
Apart from the main marine pollution factors, Dr Khan counted other sources contributing to the destruction of marine life and water contamination, such as wastewater disposals, urban run-off and erosion.
He said: "Sewage water being discharged into the sea, illegal dumping of waste and inadequate vessel maintenance are other sources that jeopardise marine life and contaminate sea water.
"Urban growth should also be managed in a way that maintains a healthy environment and prevents contamination of sea water. More regulations to ban the import of toxic chemicals are also needed."
| Move to protect the coastline * Clean-up drives to keep rubbish out of the water. * Encourage people to dispose of waste properly. * Impose strict beach regulations and fines for littering. * More public awareness, education and research. * Use of new technologies. * Regulation and penalties for ports and ships. * Oil spill contingency plans. * Oil spill control plan (quick response of clean up). * More training and drills. * Hotline for spills and accidents. * More active inter-department coordination. * Safe waste treatment and disposal facilities. * Impose a ban on toxic chemicals. |
