KUWAIT CITY, Oct 11: The Municipal Environment Authority is expediting the issuance of new cleaning contracts to enhance waste management and public hygiene, following calls from the Municipal Council’s Environmental Affairs Committee to align efforts with the Municipal Waste Management and Public Hygiene Regulations.

In a committee meeting chaired by member Alia Al Farsi on Thursday, members urged the municipality’s executive body to develop a new sanitation strategy targeting workers deployed near cooperative societies and residential areas. The goal is to improve cleaning quality while reducing overcrowding of sanitation personnel.

The committee emphasized raising public awareness and education on solid waste management across various governorates. For the Ahmadi Governorate and southern regions, the focus is on meeting waste quantity and quality standards essential for the success of the future municipal waste treatment project at Abdullah Port. This project aims to convert solid municipal waste into Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF).

Similarly, the committee requested awareness campaigns in Jahra Governorate and northern areas to ensure compliance with waste specifications critical to the sanitary landfill project. In the central region — which includes the Capital, Hawalli, Farwaniya, and Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorates — efforts will support the organic waste conversion project, transforming waste into environmentally friendly biofuel.

Responding to inquiries about maintenance on the Fourth Ring Road, the committee recommended that the Kuwait Municipality monitor and regulate defacement sites licensed along the road. This includes ensuring that these sites do not damage state infrastructure and that any impacted areas are restored after construction work concludes.

Addressing city cleanliness, the committee called for coordination between the Kuwait Municipality and provincial councils to educate waste generators on proper household waste disposal. It also urged strict enforcement of contract terms requiring contractors to maintain, clean, disinfect, and spray waste containers regularly — washing them every three days and applying pesticides and disinfectants throughout the contract period.

Alia Al Farsi further stressed the importance of enforcing Ministerial Resolution No. 354 of 2023 on Municipal Waste Management and Public Hygiene. She advocated for imposing fines on cleaning companies that violate contract terms and penalizing individuals who fail to comply with regulations.

The committee’s recommendations underscore a broader commitment to improving sanitation services, enhancing environmental standards, and protecting public health across Kuwait.