The Kuwait Governorates Environment Committee (KGEC) recently held a cleanup trip to Kubbar Island in cooperation with Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and the Kuwait Geographical Society. This was the latest activity held by KGEC this season.
Officials said 75 volunteers from different authorities worked to clean Kubbar Island from north to south in two different teams. Besides collecting garbage, the teams also put up a number of small containers and awareness boards along the island.
Different authorities participated in this campaign, including the Coast Guard, Medical Emergency Services, Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS), Public Authority for Environment, Public Authority for Agriculture and Fish Resources, Kuwait University and various media organizations.
In appreciation of those who participated in this campaign, KGEC held an honorary ceremony on Wednesday in Bayan for the participants. The ceremony was attended by Lt. Gen. Abdullah Al-Faris, Governor of Hawally, and other officials.
Waste that is left on the island severely affects the areas environment and beaches. "Through this cleaning campaign, we aim to increase environmental awareness throughout society in order to keep the environment safe and clean. We also have other activities scheduled throughout the year," said Hamid Al-Ibrahim, Head of the KGEC.
The campaign had a number of different goals, including "cleaning up the beach, posting messages on the island so visitors keep it clean, and encouraging voluntary environmental work by allowing people to participate in such activities while informing the public about the environmental dangers and problems," he added.
Although the weather was very hot, volunteers continued their work and cleaned up the island. "Kubbar Island is for everybody, so all visitors should keep it tidy. They should use trash bins or at least put their waste in bags and not just throw their waste on the beach. The containers are all over the island. I would like to thank all those who participated with us during this and other activities," said Lt. Gen. Abdullah Al-Faris.
There are other environmental problems that exist within Hawally. "I'm calling on all citizens who own deserted buildings or houses in Hawally to renovate or demolish them, as they are being used by some people for illegal activities. We at KGEC work hard to increase environmental awareness because it is the most important issue for the environment," Al-Faris said. ou