Sharjah
A few days ago, I happened to cross a footbridge on Amman Street in Al Nahda 2 area, Dubai. This bridge was recently built by the authorities, due to the risk of accidents and for the benefit of residents in the area. I was really shocked to see how people have misused it.
There were a lot of cans, wrappers, covers, polythene bags and all sorts of trash thrown all along the path of the footbridge. It was a shameful sight. The Municipality spends so much time in maintaining and cleaning the bridges, and the public, in no time, throws trash and makes the place unclean.
As I was walking, I got a chance to speak to a few people.
Janet Periera, a resident of Sharjah, uses the footbridge to reach her office.
She said: “I pass through this footbridge as I have to cross the road to catch the bus to my bank. I see a lot of trash thrown around daily, mainly cans, especially in the evening. Since this footbridge is crowded, it is difficult to spot who throws the trash, but there is always something lying around. If you look at the end of the footbridge, the Municipality has provided trash bins so that people can throw all the waste into it before getting on or off the footbridge.”
Amina Palekar and Momina Arshad, both of whom are students based in Dubai, use the bridge regularly and also felt the same way.
Palekar said: “People are usually in a hurry to reach their destination, whether in the morning or in the evening, and because of this plastic trash and cans, we have seen people trip over it many-a-time. I guess it’s really important to keep our surroundings clean. This will prevent the development of microorganisms, which can lead to diseases.”
Arshad added: “It is really annoying to see trash on the walkway. It’s heart breaking to see the Municipality workers picking up what others leave behind, only because it’s their job. We can’t help them a lot but we can at least play our part in throwing what’s ours, in the trash.”
This bridge was built for people’s safety and protection. A large number of people are benefiting from it. Those who throw trash don’t seem to be bothered about the cleanliness or hygiene, despite the authorities spending so much on infrastructure and providing us with so many footbridges and subways. People have to learn to use public property as their own and keep their surroundings clean.
— The reader is a student based in Sharjah.
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FACTS:
According to a Gulf News report published in March, littering or dumping waste in an area will result in Municipality inspectors imposing a fine of Dh500. This also applies to public parks and even busy commercial areas around the UAE. The report also states that the Municipality has placed ashtrays and waste bins every 50 to 100 metres in the busy central business district areas of Bur Dubai and Deira.
