Anti-littering ‘environment cops’ to patrol capital

‘Environment police’ will patrol Malé to stop littering and stamp out unlicensed waste collectors.

The inititative  follows an agreement between the Maldives Police Service, the Environment Ministry and the Waste Management Company. It is part of the ministry’s SaafuRaajje project to keep the Maldives’ islands clean.

The police will establish a special constabulary, which will also manage the security of waste management zones and help the Environment Protection Agency in punishing those who break environment laws and regulations.

The per capita waste generation in Malé is estimated to be 1.7 kilos a day with an annual increase of four percent. Waste collected from the capital is transported to the nearby landfill island of Thilafushi, where it is stockpiled and usually incinerated.

Last year, the state-owned Waste Management Company (WAMCO) took over waste collection from households in Malé, with a renewed effort to tackle its long-standing waste problem.

Expatriate workers stopped collecting trash, after carrying garbage bags on bicycles was banned, and households were asked to register at the company for a monthly fee of MVR150 (US$10).

According to the environment ministry, around 255,826 metric tonnes of solid waste was generated in Malé in 2014, a 155 percent increase over the preceding decade.