DOHA: Municipal inspectors caught 1,065 violations of new Public Hygiene Law No. 18 of 2017 during February and March, said the Ministry of Municipality and Environment.

Al Shafi said that the Ministry enforced the law strictly to curb the violations in a bid to maintain hygiene at public places and keep the cities clean and beautiful.

“All municipalities intensified their efforts in monitoring the violations of the law as soon as it came into effect. The inspectors made field visits across the country with special focus on public places,” said Al Shafi.

He said that the Ministry of Municipality and Environment gave great importance to the new public hygiene law as Minister of Municipality and Environment, H E Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi, is personally following up the enforcement. “The Ministry trained 197 employees through special training and monitoring courses on public hygiene law,” said Al Shafi.

To create awareness among public about the law, the Ministry launched a massive campaign through various forms of media; print, electronic, social networking sites, he added.

He said that billboards were placed at roadside across the country in coordination with an advertisement company to educate all segments of the community to maintain hygiene at public places.

Al Shafi further said that a team from the Ministry made a presentation at a session of Central Municipal Council (CMC) seeking cooperation of CMC members in creating awareness about the law among the people in their respective constituencies.

“The awareness campaign aims at influencing the behaviour of people in maintaining necessary hygiene all over the country,” said Al Shafi.

Al Shafi added that the media campaign continues and it is moving parallel to the inspection drive launched to enforce the law targeting all segments of the community in coming time.

“The new Public Hygiene Law is strong enough to help maintain public hygiene and protect the environment of the country by curbing the bad practices,” said Al Shafi, adding that the law also helps reduce the work-load of the Public Cleanliness Department.

Al Shafi pointed that the new law is strict in addressing the violations which impede the provision of public hygiene services on a round-the-clock basis.

“This is manifested in applying its provisions which range between imprisonment, levying fines or both penalties as set out in Article No. 15 of the Law. There are violations where conciliation is strictly prohibited,” said Al Shafi.

He said that under the reconciliation provisions, penalty starts from QR300 up to QR6,000 depending on the type of violation and damage.

Al Shafi said that as for penalties in case no conciliation has been reached, they include four procedures depending on the type of violation and pursuant to Article No. 15 of the Law: A term of up to one year imprisonment and penalty fines which shall not exceed QR25,000 or one of these penalties: a term of up to six months imprisonment and penalty fine which shall not exceed QR10,000 or one of these penalties.