Zoaiter Distances his Ministry from Possible Floods Caused by Waste

Public Works Minister Ghazi Zoaiter on Monday shoved off the responsibility of possible floods caused by waste dumped on the side of the streets on municipalities.

During a press conference he held at his office, Zoaiter said the trash dumped on the side of the roads and on the banks of rivers will cause a problem at the start of the rain season.

He urged municipalities to take action and stop the dumping of waste on the side of roads or highways.

Zoaiter said municipalities should choose land plots to dump the garbage there.

“It is everyone's responsibility to remove trash from the streets,” he added.

Zoaiter stressed that around 24 engineers are overseeing the work to clean sewer systems in several areas.

In October of every year, heavy rain causes floods and traps commuters in their vehicles over the authorities' failure to clear sewers after a long dry season.

This year, the threat of floods has increased over the waste crisis that erupted mid-July when the Naameh landfill, which lies south of Beirut, was closed.

Garbage has been piling up on the streets in Beirut and Mount Lebanon since then, and the government is yet to implement a plan to resolve the crisis.