*** 8,000 tonnes of waste removed last week : Minister | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

8,000 tonnes of waste removed last week : Minister

ManamaThe new cleaning company assigned to clean the Southern and Northern Governorates has daily removed 1,000 tonnes of waste from the areas during the past week.

Revealing the details during a field visit on Friday, Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf clarified that the total amounts of waste have increased by 40 pc.  “The company, Urbaser, had successfully removed 8,000 tonnes in the first eight days of its operation in the Southern and Northern Governorates.”

Khalaf said the increase in the quantity of waste is owing to the rise in domestic consumption during the last 10 days of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

He also confirmed that the new company will complete the distribution of waste containers in all areas of both governorates, adding that 5,700 containers will be placed in the next few days.

“During my visit, I have noticed that the main challenge is the lack of waste bins in inner roads. We have insisted that all containers should be placed in the next two days,” Khalaf said.

Northern Municipal Council Chairman Mohammed Buhamood and a number of councilors and officials accompanied the Minister. 

In another development, Northern Area Municipality General Director Yousif Al Ghatam said the municipality will slap certain sanctions and penalties on the new company.

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He explained in a statement issued on Friday that “the contract with the company includes a number of sanctions, penalties and financial accountability that will be applied against it.”

“We are cooperating with the company now as part of national and moral duties. But this won’t exempt it from its commitments that are mentioned in the agreement,” Al Ghatam.

As reported earlier, Bahrain has witnessed a noticeable increase of accumulated waste and garbage, especially in residential areas in both the Southern and Northern Governorates. This came in line with the beginning of operation of a new Spanish cleaning company in the area on July 1. The company was apparently not ready to take up the new assignments. Several accusations were also made against the previous company, Sphinx, who allegedly worked to hinder the new company’s operation.