Muscat Municipality familiarizes the public of the risk of residues on health and the environment and alerts of the penalties
• Familiarizing the community of the risk of residues and involving them in problem solving.
• Intensifying inspection on construction works to avoid random back-filling.
• Resolution (55/2017) has identified the administrative sanctions on Muscat Municipality violations, including fining the perpetrators.
Bushra Al-Busaidiya
Residues can cause a serious risk to public health and the surrounding environment as pollutants assist in the reproduction of bacteria, germs, viruses and rodents which in return help lead to outbreak of diseases and epidemics.
From this aspect, the Directorate General of Health Affairs in Muscat Municipality pays great attention to the current system of disposing residues. It also works continuously to develop new solutions to reduce any environmental pollution caused by waste.
Household residues:
Household residues include liquid or solid waste resulting from individual houses, hotels, resorts, recreational facilities, or government institutions or private bodies. In this aspect, Muscat Municipality provides suitable containers to gather residues, and distributes immediate transport containers; to avoid accumulation of waste in neighborhoods or gathering of stray animals.
Construction residues:
Construction waste poses a serious threat to members and to local environment. The waste includes all materials that result from construction works, demolition, cracked bricks, timber, cement bags and iron.
In this aspect, Muscat Municipality imposes a fine for any violation in mishandling construction waste. Municipal procedures also oblige contractors and home owners to clean the site after completion of construction, so that they get a consent or authorization to obtain some services (electricity or water) only after the security disposal of such waste.
Agricultural residues:
Agricultural residues result from farming activities; trunks and branches or leaves. They also include animal waste that accumulates mostly due to gathering of animal at garbage containers and wadies and roads.
Organic substances may contain biodegradable objects which feed fungi or bacteria, causing environmental pollution of the area. This is likely to contaminate drinking water. It also changes the quality of soil which reduces agricultural productivity.
Waste on beaches:
Beach residues are thrown on beaches or sea by ships, tankers, boats, or industrial bodies near the beaches. They include remains of food and non-biodegradable sacks, or aluminum and glass. Such materials cause a serious damage to the environment and affect the aesthetic aspect of beaches. They also cause harm to humans and endangered species like sea turtles.
To handle this issue, Muscat Municipality has installed many signs and boards emphasizing the importance of maintaining beaches and the legal actions taken against any health damage caused. Municipality has also forbidden cycling or barbecuing at the beach, and installed many recycle bins along. It also organizes cleanliness campaigns periodically.
Parks residues:
Parks residues form a good housing for fungi, rodents and stray animals. They also affect the aesthetic appearance of parks. Muscat Municipality makes sure that garbage containers are available everywhere.
Administrative decision (55/2017):
The administrative decision no. (55/2017) on the administrative penalties of violations of Muscat Municipality law stipulates that everyone who gets rid of waste in places not assigned to it is fined (100) one hundred Omani rials, and is doubled in case of repetition. The offender is given one day to transport the waste to designated places.
Throwing waste in white lands (whether fenced or not), or in open squares, or wadies is an illegal action by law and is fined (1000) one thousand Omani rials, and is doubled in case of repetition. The offender is given one day to transport the waste to designated places.
The administrative decision also stipulates that everyone who throws ruins, trees, remains of furniture, and large appliances or alike next to containers is fined (50) Fifty rials, and is doubled in case of repetition. The offender is given one day to transport the waste to designated places.
Throwing animal carcasses or animal waste or fertilizers in public places or waste containers or next to them is fined (100) one hundred Omani rials, and is doubled in case of repetition. The offender is given one day to correct the violation.
Tampering with content of waste containers is fined (20) twenty Omani rials. The fine is doubled in the case of repetition. From another side, failing to remove construction waste or the soil or throwing them in other people’s places or in public places, or transferring soils from places not assigned to such purpose is fined (100) one hundred Omani rials. In case of repetition, a fine of (300) three hundred rials is imposed with giving one day only to remove the violation.
All in all, Muscat Municipality is very keen to organise municipal work in Muscat governorate and shall address all observations or violations that could affect the environmental balance or the public health.