Random landfilling is a Violation by Law

Muscat: Municipal teams are constantly alerting contractors and lorry drivers of the risk of dumping wastes on undesignated sites, causing harm to the environment, and educating them about the hefty fine of up to OMR1,000 for the violation.

The municipal inspection teams follow up the transportation of wastes across the Muscat governorate regularly; as random landfill waste is one of the major municipal challenges harming the environment.

In order to overcome the challenges of dumping waste, especially the random landfills, Municipal orders and laws are there to protect the environment from those who cause harm to it. For the legislative aspect, Article 11 of local order 1/2006 on protective health and administrative decision 2017/55 imposes fines on violators.

The procedures governing municipal licences also compel contractors or the owner of the house to clean the site after the completion of construction, so that the approval or licencing of some services such as electricity or water can be given only after the safe disposal of those wastes.

The administrative decision No. 55/2017 has been promulgated for administrative sanctions for violations of the Muscat Municipality law issued by Royal Decree No. 38/2015.

In the field of environmental violations, some articles of the decision stipulate that anyone who throws waste in public (whether fenced or unfenced), open squares or wadis will be fined OMR1,000.

In case of repetition, the fine is doubled and the violator is given a one-day deadline to transfer the waste to the places allocated for it.

The decision also applies when failing to remove construction or restoration waste or dumping it on third-party lands or public places or the transfer of dust from non-designated places with a fine of OMR100.

In case of a repetition, a fine of OMR300 shall be imposed and a one-day deadline is granted to terminate the violation.