QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Streets are full of garbage scattered everywhere in Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli. Locals accuse the municipality for the delay of collecting the trash and the municipality on the other hand accuse the people of being “ careless”.
Peels of fruits, plastic cups, nylon bags among others are pilled outside the garbage bins, which some of them are upside down.
Hassan al-Agidi, a resident of Qamishli, said the city is full of stinky garbage that causes diseases specially for the children, adding “People are compelled to carry garbage bags until they get to their special bins.”
Each family pays 3000 Syrian pounds per month to the municipality to collect garbage, according to al-Agidi. There should be “regulations” so that people do not live among the waste.
Amin Jado’, a member of the executive office of the Qamishli-based cleaning department, said every morning 40 garbage trucks go around all the city’s neighborhoods on shifts for three days in a week.
“The garbage vehicles are scheduled to go around for four days a week soon,” he said.
“250 garbage bins will be placed in the city’s markets and neighborhoods. The garbage would be collected during the evening as well,” he added.
Jado’ pointed out that 30 conservancy workers will be employed and three garbage vehicles will be designated to prevent piles of trash.
Approximately 30 or 40 tons of garbage are collected every day and are transferred to a special landfills on the same day, officials of the municipality stated to North Press.
Bozan Osso, a resident of Qamishli, said the municipality should find urgent solutions for this phenomenon specially during the spread of Covid-19.
It is noteworthy that the lack of recycling factories in northeast Syria’s region exacerbates the problem of landfills, a matter that should be taken into account by the competent parties.
Many insects gather on the garbage, most notably the insect causing leishmaniosis, risking the outbreak of diseases. Burning the garbage is not a good solution because it will cause air pollution.
Garbage bins are places where dogs and cats gather since they are always full of garbage, Osso said.