Media

2.12.0.0

Burning agricultural waste is one of the phenomena plaguing communities and agricultural regions, as it disrupts the fertility of the soil and emits harmful carbon dioxides. People choose to burn agricultural waste as it is the easiest and cheapest way to get rid of agricultural waste, but the danger of this negative practice exceeds the accumulation of this agricultural waste, resulting in serious environmental and health problems.

Fadel Al Ameri who is head of the Public Hygiene Department in Muscat Municipality in Bousher explains that the process of burning agricultural waste has worsened to the extent that it has become a phenomenon due to the alarming extent of its spread and the hazards imposed by it. He continues: "there are a number of reasons why people choose to burn agricultural waste; as it is a low-cost method and does not require much physical effort. But the repercussions of the phenomenon poses significant risks to the environmental around and the public health, as the air becomes burdened with many toxic compounds and fumes and leads to a decrease in soil fertility.

Although waste burning is declining to a limited extent to become a phenomenon, few of these practices can cause significant damage if left without legislation. Here it should be noted that there are a number of deterrent legislative measures that would protect the environment, combat pollution and promote the public health; like the local order no. (55/2017) on the violations against anyone who dumps and burns solid waste. The Royal Decree No. (114/2001) has also stressed the protection of local environment, together with the controls which set to ensure the Omani environment remains free of pollution. Muscat Municipality local order (1/2006) on the Prevention of Public Health under Article No. (11) stipulates that: any person is prohibited from dumping, leaving, placing, or burning any waste in public places or disposing of it in other than the disposal sites specified by the municipality.

Based on the above controls and legislations that have been enacted specifically to avoid the adverse consequences that may arise from individual unhealthy and non-urban practices when dealing with solid agricultural waste of large sizes, Muscat Municipality emphasizes the safe disposal of such waste through the use of existing landfills in al-Amirat and Barka, with the need to note and emphasize the catastrophic risks that can result from these random individual practices.  

2.12.0.0