Trash piling on the side of the roads in Male' again!
It appears that some citizens have been avoiding the burden and the cost of properly disposing of their waste by leaving their trash outside the road, making it a safety and health risk.
With the holy month of Ramadan approaching, all households who are preparing for the upcoming month are doing the big yearly clean-up. The preparations for Ramadan are usually one of those times when everything is hectic around a household as grocery lists are made, everyone starts running the big errands before Ramadan and the big household clean-up is done.
For many, this is the time of the year when the old and broken items of a household are replaced with new items and any garbage that was not taken out finally gets disposed of as everyone prepares to attempt to have an easier Ramadan than the last. Whether it is new furniture or new household items, a lot of trash is usually taken out during the Ramadan clean-up as this is one of the biggest clean-ups that households do throughout the year.
With this major cleanup taking place, the end result of trash within households has started piling up on pavements and the roadside of Male’ City and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has raised their concerns regarding this issue.
Following the introduction of the waste management policies in the Greater Male’ Area, the Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO) is responsible for disposing of trash that is taken out by each household. For a fee of MVR 150, WAMCO collects small daily waste that is disposed of every single day, making it easier for residents to rid of the waste that is created during the day.
However, when it comes to major clean-ups such as the Ramadan clean up, a lot of big waste such as furniture and glassware is disposed of. For such waste WAMCO has different regulations as households would need to directly contact the company, hire and pay for their waste pick-up service as this type of waste cannot be disposed of along with the daily general waste. And it appears that some citizens have been avoiding the burden and the cost of properly disposing of their waste by leaving their trash outside the road, making it a safety and health risk.
With such little space in Male City for pedestrians, throwing away trash onto the side of the road not only makes it hard for people to walk but in case of rain, this waste also creates unsanitary water that people are often forced to walk on as they have no other choice. With this in mind, EPA has asked citizens to properly dispose of their waste instead of neglecting this duty.
