The Public Services Department in Ras Al-Khaimah intends to take strict measures against hikers who are not compliant with public hygiene, who leave food and barbecue waste in wild areas, including fining financial offenders.
The department interacted with a video circulating for citizen Mohammed Saif Al-Dhafiri, who last Sunday initiated the cleaning of the Al-Kharran natural area and collected dozens of trash bags and garbage left by hikers at the site.
The department's public services advisor, Ahmed Hamad Al-Shehhi, told «Emirates Today» that Al-Dhafiri’s initiative is a national action, appreciating his initiative. He added that the department is intensifying "watch" patrols to reduce the negative practices of hikers who are not committed to hygiene.
Citizens and residents in Ras Al-Khaimah demanded not to be lenient with violating hikers, and to double the financial fine in the event of a repeat offense, noting that some natural areas were environmentally damaged due to leaving barbecue waste, food and plastic bags on the ground.
They added that they had to clean some areas before sitting in them, because the former hikers leave behind pots, blankets, clothes, food scraps and burning coal, and they do not cost themselves the hardship of cleaning the place before leaving.
In detail, Abdullah Al-Shehhi said that he was surprised by the amount of waste left by parkers in the Al-Kharran area last week, as they left their food waste intact, as well as plastic bags, children's clothing and cooking pots, and they left.
He explained that «some hikers do not care about general hygiene and depend on cleaners to remove their waste and clean the place after them», pointing to the need to “install surveillance cameras in the wild, desert and mountainous natural areas to control any park that dumps waste and food waste in the place.”
He pointed out that some hikers watch their children throw plastic cups on the floor, without teaching them how to conserve the environment, or they took the initiative to clean the place before leaving.
Resident Said Abdel-Razek said that the park, which depends on the hygiene worker to clean the place after it, needs awareness.
He continued that «despite the efforts made by cleaners in Jabal Jais and the Hamraniya desert region, some families throw food and barbecue waste in the place and do not clean it after they leave it, pointing to“ the need to set new environmental standards for hiking in natural areas, such as To prevent cooking or using small gas, in order to avoid an explosion in the gas pipeline, and the use of bonfires to light the place during the night, to prevent fires.
He added that intensifying environmental awareness for the public is important to reduce the dumping of waste and waste in public areas.
Umm Jassem indicated that some of the righteous visitors on both sides of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road in Ras Al Khaimah do not care about hygiene, and throw burning charcoal on the ground, or bury it in the sand, after eating, despite the presence of containers for dumping charcoal inside. .
She confirmed that her child's leg was almost burned while sitting on the ground, as a result of the burial of a charcoal in the sand after the end of the barbecue.
She added that the intensification of "watch" patrols in the wild, desert and mountainous areas will reduce the negative practices of hikers and contribute to reducing the amount of waste and food waste left by hikers behind.
For his part, General Services Adviser in the General Services Department, Ahmed Hamad Al-Shehhi, said that the department intends to intensify environmental "watch" patrols to violate the hikers who are not committed to public hygiene, in order to preserve the cleanliness of the natural land, desert and mountainous areas in the emirate, as they are preferred areas for tourists and hikers.
He added that «hikers who go to the natural areas in the emirate must adhere to public cleanliness and lift barbecue waste and food before they leave the place», pointing out that «public cleanliness is not a personal matter. Every park must be bound by law, and be sure to leave the place clean. ”
He pointed out that the department aims from fining violators of the hikers to make them aware of the importance of maintaining the general cleanliness of natural areas and helping workers to clean the place.
The "Department" is intensifying "Watch" patrols to reduce the negative practices of hikers.