Residents report sorry state of Oman's Wadi Hoqain

Muscat: Rubbish being thrown all over Wadi Hoqain, which is a popular picnic spot in Al Rustaq in the Al Batinah region of Oman, was highlighted recently, after a few visitors to the spot noticed the growing levels of trash at the site.
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Abdul Aziz was delighted to have planned a family trip to the picturesque spot of Wadi Hoqain during the holidays.
However, he was shocked to see the site strewn with leftover plastic waste dumped by careless picnickers.
According to Aziz, everything from bits and pieces of foodstuff to dirty baby diapers were scrounged openly in the Wadi, which made it look like a large waste dump.
“We were super excited to visit this place known for its magnificent beauty, but when we reached our destination, we were flabbergasted to see the sorry state of the vicinity; everywhere we could see abundance of trash and litter.”
“The panoramic view of this leisure spot had been brutally converted into a vista of contamination. We were so distressed to watch the countryside full of filth and debris and that no proper trash bins had been installed at the location,” he noted.
Although Aziz saw notice boards, which listed the rules on picnicking in the area, everybody seemed to disregard them.
“We saw the rules listed, but not a single person seemed to be concerned about implementing those written rules. The place was stinking with heaps of rubble. The malodorous condition of the place penetrated deeply into our hearts. Even though this relaxation place is open to the public free of cost, not a single person seemed to feel obliged to preserving its dazzling charm.”
“My point of view is that some strictness should be maintained and awareness should be created among the public, in order to save this picture of the countryside. This fascinating piece of land is bestowed to us by nature to add joy to our stressful lives. However, if we continue to practice this act of negligence, there are chances that people will stop coming here for their leisure trips.”
Mohammed Ragheb, an environment activist expressed that it was really sad because people don’t pay heed to the instructions laid out by the government and just do whatever they feel like.
However, he also said that some younger people were thinking about the issue which was a good thing.
“There are dustbins everywhere for you to throw your garbage and in some places they are located at a distance; you are by no means allowed to throw your trash anywhere you feel like.
“It’s important that people take responsibility for their actions,” Ragheb emphasised.