Enhancing State’s efforts to preserve the environment, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) represented by the Department of Industrial Inspection and Pollution Control has launched key initiatives to develop an integrated system for pollution control across the country and Qatari water.
The department also intensified inspection campaigns to make industrial facilities and companies comply with Qatari standards and specifications to reduce the pollution.
The Department takes action against major violations such as disposal of hazardous waste without following environmental conditions and standards, burning garbage, solid and liquid waste in non-designated places, non-compliance with environmental protection regulations and standards and using waste as primary materials in production processes without obtaining the necessary environmental permits.
“The initiatives include preparing a national plan to control oil pollution and pollution caused by hazardous and harmful substances,” said Director of the Department of Industrial Inspection and Pollution Control, Dr. Mohammad Ayed Al Shammari.
He said that the initiative will enable meeting necessary requirements for building an infrastructure for controlling oil pollution and tracking oil spills through satellites.
Al Shammari was speaking in a press conference held yesterday at the headquarters of the Environmental Affairs Sector of the Ministry to demonstrate the key achievements of the Department and introduce people about its services.
“The Industrial Inspection Section at the Department is also running a number of initiatives such as modernising industrial pollution measuring devices and environmental audit initiative by developing a system for receiving reports through the electronic system and reducing paper use,” said Al Shammari.
Head of Pollution Control Section, Ahmed Malallah Al Maliki said that the section implemented a number of projects and initiatives during the year 2020-21, such as rewriting the national plan to control oil pollution and pollution by hazardous and harmful substances in the marine environment.
“A project has been implemented to assess the necessary requirements to rehabilitate and equip the infrastructure related to oil pollution and hazardous and harmful substances,” said Al Maliki.
“The section responded to 27 complaints and reports related to environmental pollution and recorded 20 environmental violations which were referred to the competent authorities for further legal actions,” said Al Maliki.
Head of the Environmental Audit Section, Nasser Ali Al Fahed Al Hajri said that the section, during a recent past, audited 2,094 various types of environmental reports (control reports, notices and compliance reports) to ensure the establishments’ compliance with environmental standards.
Head of the Industrial Inspection Section, Badr Yousef Al Maliki said that the section receives complaints and reports submitted through the unified call center 184 and takes the necessary measures in this regard.
“The municipal inspectors carried out 1,092 regular and surprised inspection visits to industrial facilities during the year 2020-21.
“A total of 14 joint campaigns were conducted on the facilities in coordination and cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Interior and other competent authorities,” said Al Malki.
