Nationwide cleanup programme launched

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih launched Saturday morning a nationwide clean-up programme as pledged in his first 100-day action plan.

The president joined senior government officials in sweeping up trash around the Maafannu sports complex in the capital. Members of civil society organisations and local businesses were also among the participants with Malé and its island suburbs divided into several zones.

Littering and trash is a particular issue in the overcrowded capital where garbage can often be seen heaped on the streets. The state waste management company began collection services in August last year in a renewed effort to tackle the long-standing trash problem.

Appealing for a minimal-waste lifestyle in his remarks at the launching ceremony, President Solih observed that household waste mostly consisted of single-use plastic such as packets and bags rather than organic waste.