Going out for a BBQ? You could be breaking the law

Energy Wednesday 13/December/2017 21:48 PM
By: Times News Service
Going out for a BBQ? You could be breaking the law

Muscat: Residents who barbecue in parks and leave their mess behind will have to pay hefty fines and could even face jail time, local officials have warned.
According to a Muscat Municipality official, a new clampdown means squads of local authority clean-up teams will target anyone damaging parks and open spaces while having a barbecue, or leaving litter behind.
“Indiscriminate disposal of waste will attract a fine of OMR100 and whoever destroys government property can be fined OMR50 or imprisoned for a period not exceeding two months,” the official said, adding the violator is also obliged to pay the cost of repairing what has been ruined.
The severity of the damage or littering will determine whether offenders are fined or jailed, the official added.
Yusra Jaffer, Public Relations Manager, Environment Society of Oman, said: “The weather is great and everyone wants to enjoy Oman’s natural beauty. However, the responsibility lies with each individual to keep Oman clean and we must act as responsible citizens to keep public areas clean. It’s simple - if we all clean up after ourselves there will be no litter left over from barbecues.”
She made the statements after a number of municipal violations in public places were recorded and individuals were fined for barbecuing on the lawns of a park.
A follow-up team that looks for violations such as tampering with public utilities, in collaboration with the Royal Oman Police, has “controlled and fined a number of individuals in Bausher and Ghubrah Lake Park,” according to Muscat Municipality.
Cooking food on a throwaway barbecue in a park “damaged the grass surfaces, besides causing littering,” noted the official.
The official from Muscat Municipality, however, clarified: “Barbecuing is prohibited only in green areas, while people can enjoy barbecues in other places, where public utilities will not be damaged.”
He added that the municipality would continue to monitor the parks. “The team will continue its work periodically and intensively, with field visits and surprise visits, to control these negative activities that destroy public facilities and pollute the environment.
“We will do so in cooperation with members of the Royal Oman Police and the judicial control teams, and take legal action based on the administrative decisions and local orders issued by the Municipal Council in Muscat Governorate,” maintained the officials.
Muscat Municipality has called on all citizens and residents to respect and maintain the public facilities, taking care to keep the public sites clean and respect restrictions and regulations in public interest.
A resident said: “I am fed up of tripping over barbecue skewers on the beach, in the park and on the dunes. These wooden skewers are sharp and harmful. My dog recently dug up a plastic bag of chicken bones that had been buried in the beach, even though there was a bin less than 30 steps away.
“A national education programme on the costs of littering is needed, similar to the ones conducted in the UK and elsewhere throughout the 1970s and 1980s. I feel really sorry for the workers, who can be seen cleaning up the mess every morning and night on the beaches and in the parks,” stated the resident.