ATTRACTIVE panels could be installed to conceal dumpsters overflowing with trash in residential areas – described by councillors as ‘an eyesore’ and a traffic hazard.
The Northern Municipal Council has approved a proposal to fence off wheelie bins which, they claimed, were disrupting traffic flow and causing accidents.
Council chairman Ahmed Al Kooheji said the project, if implemented across the country, would beautify neighbourhoods and keep them clean and healthy.
“Enclosures for dumpsters will stop the bins from rolling on to the streets and obstructing traffic,” he said at the weekly meeting of the council.
“It will also organise the distribution of garbage bins while providing a designated space for them.
“The project has been successfully implemented in Diyar Al Muharraq and could be installed in other neighbourhoods too.”
Mr Al Kooheji, however, did not specify the material that could be used for the enclosure or the budget to be allocated for the purpose.
Dumpster enclosures are gaining popularity globally with people using wood, PVC, bricks, concrete and aluminium among other materials to fence off the area.
Mr Kooheji said the council had earlier submitted proposals for pockets and dug-outs for dumpsters on the sidewalk – however, none of them were implemented.
He suggested that dumpster enclosures could be incorporated into blueprints of government housing projects and private residences in the future.
“Bahrain has talented artists and their creativity could be used to further decorate the enclosure,” Mr Al Kooheji pointed out.
“It could even be covered with artificial grass to give the structure an aesthetic appeal.”
Council services committee chairman Faisal Shabeeb highlighted the threat posed by wheelie bins scattered across the kingdom.
“We have received several complaints on overflowing bins hindering pedestrians and traffic movement, and yet the minister concerned doesn’t seem to believe us,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, technical committee chairman Abdullah Al Qubaisi stressed the importance of doubling up inspections to implement and maintain dumpster enclosures.
“A fenced area for bins is a great proposal. But we need a comprehensive operational strategy,” he said.
The proposal will now be referred to the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf for review.
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