Muscat: Wanton dumping of construction debris is harmful for the environment and spoils the beauty of urban ambience.
Abdullah al Mufarji, environment specialist at the Environment Authority, said many contractors or landlords tend to throw or dump construction debris in randomly wadis, roadsides, landfills, and desert areas as they the easiest and least expensive ways to dispose such waster without paying attention to the negative impact of such actions.
"The negative consequences of the random and improper throwing of construction and demolition waste go beyond distorting the country’s landscape. This may become breeding ground for insects, rodents, unpleasant odours, and the accumulation of dust and dirt," he said.
Over time, as Abdullah pointed out, these areas become dumping yards for food waste that attract stray animals and birds "This waste can spread to the beaches that threaten marine life of all kinds. Also, random dumping in wadis and public squares blocks the natural flow of water causing floods during rains, affects the course of wadis or pollutes groundwater," he said.
Al Mufarji said, "These debris contains flammable materials such as wood, cork, remnants of electrical wires, asbestos, dyes, varnishes, and expired liquid chemicals such as insecticides and others, which poses risks of fires.” Responsible handling of debris is the only solution to manage this problem. "There are 27 sites across Oman to receive construction and demolition waste. There are also nine sites for recycling such debris using modern crushers," he said.
The scientific disposal of this kind of waste comes as a final step in the effective management of this waste.
“Recycling is a great way to preserve the environment and not cause soil pollution." You can also donate unwanted building materials instead of hoarding or accumulating them. You can donate the iron pieces to a blacksmith shop near you, or donate pieces of wood to a carpenter as well.
The Environment Authority, in cooperation with many competent local authorities, is keen on proper management of this waste, as well as finding solutions to control random disposal.
As he highlighted, the Authority has launched the National Waste Management Registry System as the first national platform for registering waste and its safe disposal. "Work is currently underway to find solutions using modern technologies and activating tracking systems for transporting trucks in order to facilitate the monitoring process and arrest violators," Al Mufarji said Environmental inspectors and monitors are working to control and record violations. In addition, the competent authorities are updating laws and enhancing penalties to tackle wanton dumping.
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