The Jeddah Mayoralty has beefed up its cleaning operations to remove 70,000 tons of urban waste from various districts in the coastal city, said Dr. Abdul Qader Tankle, Assistant Deputy Mayor at Jeddah Mayoralty, in a report carried by Al-Madina. Tankle said the Cleaning Department at the Mayoralty has already succeeded in removing 16,000 tons of accumulated trash and rubble. Cleaning companies with mayoralty contracts have increased their volume from 3,000 to 7,000 tons a day. The Bride of the Sea will have all accumulated waste removed in just a few days, he said. He said the mayoralty has made the necessary arrangements to raise the salary of cleaners from SR300 to SR700 a month in 18 months when new contracts with the cleaning companies are signed. He said residents will see the difference in the standard of cleanliness at the start of Ramadan. He urged all residents to report any delay in the removal of rubbish from their district if it remains there for more than 24 hours. He also called on residents to not throw trash in the streets and to use containers provided for this purpose. This will prevent the proliferation of insects, rodents and mosquitoes. They should also report any shortage of containers in their districts. Tankle said the Cleaning Department has allocated new areas in various districts for big solid waste, such as old furniture and kitchenware. These areas will become available in about 18 months after the tenders for the new cleaning companies are awarded. To raise the standard of cleanliness the mayoralty will hire international cleaning companies, in addition to the local companies. The department will also adopt international cleanliness specifications applied in advanced countries. “Additionally, Jeddah will be divided into nine zones instead of the current three zones to match the increase in cleaning machinery and manpower. This will make the coastal city as clean as other international coastal cities.” He said the mayoralty will deal firmly deal with any negligent company by canceling their contracts. It is also in the process of using small compression trucks to access rubbish in alleyways in undeveloped districts.
