RAS AL KHAIMAH // Residents have called for more rubbish bins near restaurants and houses and for more awareness campaigns to keep streets clean especially during holidays when littering becomes rampant.
Mona Al Zarouni, an Emirati, said the amount of waste and littering in residential areas increases during public holidays and with increased population in those areas, there is a need to provide more trash containers and waste collectors and perform regular monitoring.
An official at the Public Works and Services Department (PWSD) in Ras Al Khaimah said the department collects about 500 tonnes of waste each day, including 350 tonnes from houses. He said there are more than 7,000 waste containers across the emirate and 100 waste collection vehicles.
The Raqeb beach patrols launched by the PWSD in April have helped reduce littering offences on the beaches and maintain the aesthetic appeal of RAK beaches. The PWSD is also planning to install surveillance cameras on Al Qawasim Corniche to track littering in cooperation with the Tourism Department.
The official said offenders will be fined Dh500 on the spot or they can surrender their ID cards and pay the fine at the PWSD office.
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