In response to growing concerns, WAMCO Managing Director Mujuthaba Jaleel has gestured to the safaris docked at the Hulhumale' in connection as to who should be responsible for throwing waste into the lagoon.
In a Facebook post by Jaleel that went up yesterday, he said that those who anchor their safari boats in the Hulhumale' lagoon would know that there is not much of a connection between WAMCO and the waste that has been dumped in the lagoon.
He went on to say that plastic bottles are a common sight in the lagoon, and that Parley Maldives and Maldives Ocean Plastic Alliance (MOPA) are responsible in making sure that plastic bottles are placed into net bags and jumbo sacks by WAMCO from their waste site in Hulhumale' for recycling purposes.
"We squeeze the plastic bottles and take them, but the bottles in the lagoon are dumped as is," said Jaleel.
Quite some time has passed where people have seen plastic bottles being taken by the current of the lagoon beneath the Channel Bridge, which connects Hulhumale' Phase 1 and Phase 2. Even though WAMCO and the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) cleaned up the lagoon, there were bottles thrown into the lagoon the very next day.
According to Jaleel, safari boats in the Hulhumale' lagoon do not take any waste to WAMCO sites, and that the matter of where the waste is being taken to by the safaris should be probed.
Even though it is not WAMCO's responsibility to ensure the cleanliness of the lagoon, the company has a special dinghy for cleaning the lagoon that carries out a cleaning operation three times a week, said Jaleel. He also said it is being done in public interest.
"HDC fully cooperates with WAMCO on this. There is a joint effort between both companies in cleaning the lagoon. A lot of responsibility is held by those who make use of the lagoon. Those who question this need to ponder on the matter," said Jaleel.
Jaleel made the Facebook post after North Galolhu Constituency MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudu) wrote a letter and questioned the matter, stating the waste is being thrown into the lagoon.
Ibrahim's letter reads that there is waste being thrown into the lagoon even though waste is being managed in Hulhumale', and that it is his opinion that WAMCO should be responsible for protecting those who live in Hulhumale' from negative health and societal effects. And so, the letter requested a reason be provided as to why waste is being dumped in the Hulhumale' lagoon.
In order to manage waste, HDC arranged a temporary plot for WAMCO last week as a solution to the difficulties faced by the company.
