Will wardens, cameras stop littering on beaches?

By Fahad Al Ghadani — MUSCAT: March 6 - The sight of rubbish strewn on public beaches is prompting many beachgoers to demand that penalties for littering be stiffened. Some are even calling for wardens to be posted at popular beachfronts with authority to hand out fines to litterbugs.  Others have mooted the idea of installing CCTV cameras, the presence of which, at the very least, will perhaps deter littering by irresponsible visitors, they argue. Indeed, concerned citizenry have taken to social media to vent their frustrations against those who sully the nation’s otherwise pristine public beaches.

Images of all kinds of rubbish strewn on sandy stretches in Muscat and elsewhere, have gone viral.  The menace has also sparked an online debate on the kind of measures that civic authorities must take to stamp out this nuisance. Omar al Wahaibi, a beachgoer, blames antisocial behaviour for the problem. “These are individuals or groups that show complete disregard for their surroundings.  Their actions not only inconvenience, but also put off, visitors who come with their families to relax by the sea. In a sense, these infractions amount to criminal behaviour and should be suitably punished.”

Bashir al Ghunaimi, a visitor to beaches in the capital region, moots the idea of positioning undercover officers or wardens at public beaches and vested with powers to crack down on litterbugs.   “Every week I encounter a real mess at some of public beaches around town. Perhaps we should consider deploying plainclothes wardens to catch and fine people in the act of leaving behind rubbish. This is the only practical solution to a long festering problem.” Oman’s civic authorities, represented by Muscat Municipality, Suhar Municipality and other agencies, have long appealed for cleanliness at public beaches. Rubbish bins have been provided at convenient locations for the proper disposal of waste.

Salim al Sarhani, a native of Sharqiyah, blames poor civic sense for the problem of littering. “I think people should put themselves in the shoes of the poor municipal workers who are up at dawn cleaning up the mess we left behind the previous day. Perhaps with stricter penalties and legal sanctions people will hopefully learn the hard way!”