A pick-up van dumping construction waste in an undesignated area.
DOHA: The Ministry of Municipality and Environment represented by the Wildlife Protection Department caught 480 violations of environment last year.
The Ministry intensified efforts to curb the environment related violations and to protect the environment and natural resources of land and sea.
“The patrolling team of sea and land caught several violations in 2017,” said Umar Salem Al Nuaimi, Director of Wildlife Protection Department.
He said that the violations occurred on land include grazing ban as per the decision of the Minister of Municipality and Environment No. 277 of 2017, throwing waste on undesignated places, dredging soil, releasing drainage and other type of water in open area, unsafe transport of diesel and petrol, using bird calling whistles and distorting greeneries among others.
“The sea violations include over-fishing, possessing banned fishing nets, destroying coral reefs, the natural habitat for fish breeding, digging beach sand with heavy machines,” said Al Naumi.
Regarding the winter camping season, Al Naumi said that a total of 2,600 camps have been set up across the country where the inspectors of the department are waging inspection campaign at the camps to ensure they are complying to the winter camping rules.
Necessary legal actions are being taken against violators of environmental rules and they are being referred to the prosecution concerned for further legal procedures, he added.
Al Naumi urged citizens and expatriates to cooperate with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment by calling on 998 if they come cross any violation.
