Dubai
Dubai is a neat and clean city, but it is sad when residents throw garbage everywhere. The issue I want to highlight is littering, which consists of waste products that have been disposed improperly, without consent, at an inappropriate location.
A few days ago, I came across litter thrown amongst flowers in a road divider in Deira, Dubai. People often drop or leave objects, such as aluminum cans, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles on the ground and leave them there for others to clean up, as opposed to disposing them properly.
I believe there must be action taken against such offenders, with surprise checks in different areas every day. The authorities have placed trash cans around the city for a reason. Why throw your trash on the ground when you could throw it away in its intended place?
In my opinion, people still litter due to a number of reasons, such as laziness or they see other people doing it. Additionally, if someone asks them why they’ve done it, they will get offended. People do not seem to realise the consequences of their actions. Bins are also segregated now, with a clear tag on each stating what it needs to be used for, but people ignore that, too. Sometimes, the bins will be overflowing with garbage.
It takes tremendous amount of resources and time to collect, dispose and recycle the trash that we produce on a daily basis. Litter also wreaks havoc on our beautiful environment and threatens our health.
Sanar Ali, a secretary based in Dubai, has also come across this issue.
She said: “When I go for a walk early in the morning near Naif Road, Deira, I can see a lot of foodstuff lying on the pavement. It seems people order more than they can eat and leave the rest to be picked up by the municipality.”
Bharathi S, a supervisor based in Dubai, agreed.
She said: “I have noticed garbage being piled up in the bus stops. In the summer months, when it gets hot, we go to the bus shelters to escape from the heat, but the sight there is pathetic. People just shamelessly throw their stuff on the ground.”
Prevention is the key to minimising the rise of many problems. That means, do not litter! It may be tempting to toss out a can or a fast food wrapper out onto the street. However, by recycling the garbage and not littering, you are contributing to the beauty of our environment.
You could help raise awareness regarding this issue by talking to your friends, family and colleagues about the importance of not littering and keeping our environment clean. If we all chip in and help clean up the litter, it will go a long way in eradicating the filth that litters the streets and highways of Dubai.
— The reader is a sales coordinator based in Dubai.
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FACTS:
According to a Gulf News report published on March 24, 2016, littering or dumping waste in an area will result in the municipality inspectors imposing a fine of Dh500. This also applies to public parks and even busy commercial areas around the UAE.
The Dubai Municipality alone is said to spend over Dh50 million annually on the maintenance of public parks. 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.
