An extensive cleanliness drive has been launched across Manama to ensure the area remains neat and orderly throughout the Ashoora celebrations.
The large-scale operation includes deploying 300 sanitation workers, 12 cleanliness inspectors, 300 waste containers, 250 rubbish bins, seven garbage trucks, four mechanical sweepers and 10 special containers dedicated to plastic recycling to cope with the expected surge in waste during the commemorations.
Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael Al Mubarak yesterday inaugurated the main operations centre for sanitation services while touring major procession routes, roads and ma’atams.
He said authorities were determined to maintain the highest standards of municipal services throughout the season in line with directives from the leadership.
“Our priority is ensuring that municipal services operate efficiently during Ashoora through intensified cleaning operations and the deployment of all necessary manpower and resources,” he said.
“We want to maintain public cleanliness standards while providing the best possible services for mourners and visitors participating in the season’s events.”
As part of the initiative, a central operations hub will supervise all sanitation work across the capital while awareness programmes will promote environmental responsibility, recycling and sustainable practices.
During the inspection tour, the minister was joined by Capital Trustees Board chairman Saleh Tarradah, Capital Trustees Authority (Municipality) director-general Alya Yousif, deputy Capital Governor Brigadier Ammar Al Sayed, the ministry’s Under-Secretary Shaikh Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, senior ministry officials and representatives of several ma’atams.
Mr Tarradah said community participation remained one of the biggest success factors during Ashoora preparations.
“The willingness of people to co-operate and volunteer during the season significantly helps advance many municipal drives and programmes,” he said.
“This strong partnership between the public and authorities allows us to deliver services faster and maintain the high standards expected during such an important occasion.”
Meanwhile, Ms Yousif revealed that environmental awareness campaigns have also been planned alongside the sanitation effort.
“We have lined up several awareness activities throughout the season, including short sermons by clergy focusing on the importance of volunteering, cleanliness and encouraging responsible waste disposal,” she said.
“These programmes will help strengthen environmental awareness and encourage sustainable community participation.”
Ma’atam officials praised the ministry’s extensive preparations, thanking authorities for ensuring services and facilities are in place to guarantee the smooth running of Ashoora events.
Officials stressed that co-ordination with organisers and public participation would remain crucial in keeping Bahrain’s capital clean throughout the annual religious occasion.
The GDN announced last week that Bahrain’s registered places of worship have started receiving dedicated recycling bins as part of a cleanliness drive.
The initiative, being rolled out as a pilot project ahead of Ashoora, aims to introduce waste segregation at licensed mosques, ma’atams and religious gathering sites, with plans to make recycling a year-round practice.
The scheme brings together the ministry, Estidamah Waste Management Centre, Bahrain’s two cleaning companies, the country’s three municipal councils and the Capital Trustees Board.
Places of worship have been equipped with three colour-coded recycling bins, depending on their individual requirements with plastic segregation being mandatory.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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