Dubai: The Mecca Municipality has reported that a total of 68,000 tonnes of waste has been generated in just 12 days since the beginning of the month of Dhu Al Hijjah during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
To ensure the cleanliness of the holy sites, the municipality had allocated 13,549 workers, including drivers, supervisors, and cleanliness observers for this year’s Hajj.
Of the total workforce, 7,250 workers were assigned to the holy sites. To facilitate the cleaning operations, the municipality deployed 912 pieces of cleaning equipment, with 438 of them specifically dedicated to the holy sites. Additionally, six mobile cleaning stations were set up, and nine waste compactor trucks were distributed to support the general cleaning work during Hajj.
The municipality made extensive preparations for the Hajj season well in advance, ensuring that the holy sites were equipped and maintained for the arrival of the pilgrims. This included maintenance work and organizing the areas used by the pilgrims upon their arrival.
To safeguard the well-being of the workers from fatigue and sunstroke, the cleaning shifts were divided into two, with morning and evening shifts. This schedule allowed them to avoid working during the scorching noon hours, as this year’s Hajj coincided with the peak of summer.
The municipality has also implemented a comprehensive waste management system, including temporary storage systems such as 111 ground storage locations and 1,071 compact boxes distributed across the holy sites as per the operational plan.
