A CAMPAIGN launched in the Southern Governorate last month, to raise awareness about cleanliness among expatriate workers in restaurants, cafeterias and cold stores, has proved to be a success with positive feedback from shop owners.
The weekly campaign, ‘Moltazimoon’ (Arabic for ‘committed’), by the Southern Municipal Council involved inspectors visiting different shops across the governorate to educate residents.
The initiative was launched in response to some workers reportedly dumping waste in front of shops or putting up chairs and other items hindering pedestrian movement.
Inspectors put up flyers that reminded workers of their commitment to ensuring that waste had to go into designated bins rather than on the street.
The text of the flyers is in four languages – English, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi. The message of the flyer is: Keep your store clean, both inside and out.
A shop owner receives a flyer from an inspector
“As part of the campaign, more than 500 multilingual posters have been put up outside several shops to educate non-Arabic speakers, and reflect adherence to municipal laws and regulations,” said a council statement yesterday.
“Since the launch of the drive last month, the campaign has covered East Riffa markets, Al Hajiyat, Bukhwara, Al Saya, West Riffa and other locations that cover commercial establishments in the Southern Governorate.”
There have been multiple cases in Riffa and surrounding areas of stores, especially restaurants and cafeterias, encroaching on public spaces with chairs and tables, even though it is illegal.
More than 500 educational flyers have been distributed among shop owners in the Southern Governorate
‘Moltazimoon’ started with more than 80 shops in Al Hajiyat last month and has since expanded to include other parts of the directorate, including more than 140 shops in Bukuwara and more than 300 in East Riffa.
“The campaign has received positive feedback from owners and visitors, who demonstrated their commitment to the municipality’s guidelines and instructions,” added the statement.
A flyer being put up outside a cafeteria
“This is the first-of-its-kind campaign promoting cleanliness among expat workers, disposing waste in designated areas and ensuring public spaces are not encroached.” According to the 2019 Cleanliness Law:
1. Littering is punishable with fines ranging from BD50 to BD300.
2. Illegal transportation of rubbish or hazardous materials without a licence or appropriate equipment may incur fines between BD500 and BD1,000.
3. Public urination, spitting or improper disposal of household waste and furniture can result in fines of BD50 to BD300.
4. Abandoning scrap vehicles in public areas is also subject to municipal penalties. It is also prohibited to leave abandoned vehicles or dump any type of scrap in the streets, on the pavement, sidewalks, public squares or beaches.
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