Egypt's 'garbage police' look to clamp down on pollution
The Egyptian Ministry of Environment is now using garbage patrols in an effort to prevent citizens from burning rice straw and household waste, yet some question their effectiveness.
CAIRO — In August, the Ministry of Environment declared a state of emergency to deal with a thick layer of air pollution — referred to by locals as the "black cloud" — that forms and hangs over Egypt at the end of every year as a result of farmers’ burning rice straw that accumulates and remains after the harvest. The ministry launched several campaigns to discourage this activity.
On Sept. 17, Minister of Environment Khaled Fahmy announced the hiring of garbage guards to monitor the burning of refuse, another source of the black cloud. The garbage guard positions are the latest addition to the Ministry of Environment's efforts, which include imposing fines, to control these sources of air pollution.
