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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Climbers call to keep Jabal Samhan view point clean

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By Kaushalendra Singh — SALALAH: Jan 1: The cleaning of Jabal Samhan view point was an uphill task literally. Two expert climbers and some dedicated volunteers took up the task of cleaning the Jabal Samhan view point to raise awareness among the people to keep the mountain view clean and tidy not only for the sake of its cosmetic value but also for the sake of flora and fauna this beautiful mountain stores.


Organised by Salalah-based tour operator National Tours, the drive got support from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs. Professional life coach and rock climber Read Macadam took part in the drive, which, according to him “was symbolic yet necessary step to take up the cause of mountain cleaning more vigorously and seriously.”


Talking to Observer Macadam laid stress on keeping the mountain clean and said: “I think the mountains are a natural and important resource for the future generations of Oman. They have important animal and plant life that are unique to their habitat. Keeping them clean preserves the flora and fauna so unique to Oman for future generations to enjoy.”


He maintained that the very purpose of the view point is to give the tourists an opportunity to get a feel of the mountain. “But carelessness on the part of some tourists, the spot gets dirty as they throw litter from the view point… During our clean up at Jabal Samhan we found thousands upon thousands of bits of tissue paper, plastic bags, paper tea cups that even advertised “Bio”, diapers, string, toys, metal posts, construction debris and more. With just one day, we cleaned as much as we could, yet weeks of work remain to clean up the improperly disposed waste at the side of the cliff,” he said.


Anissa Kirch of National Tours echoed the same feeling and called for concerted efforts by all the tour operators to keep the tourist spots in Salalah clean. “It is our responsibility to tell our clients not to litter here and there. The authorities’ responsibility lies in keeping trash bins at right places. Drives like one we are working on also raise awareness among the people, because many of them do not know the implications of their act.”


She called for some kind of orientation on regular basis to tour operators and guides. “It is however, a challenge to convince individual visitors who visit the place, use it as a picnic spot and do not dump the trash at a right place.”


Amy, who had come from Germany along with her parents, was quite impressed with the beauty that Salalah mountains store, but was shocked over the people’s behaviour of littering the tourist spots.


“The trash should compulsorily be thrown into the trash bins and in case they are full or not available, the visitors should take them back in their cars and throw into the next available bin,” she said.


Amy, however was happy over the general cleanliness of the city, roads and some beaches, and hopes to come back again.


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