Faced with the persistence of irresponsible behavior in terms of cleanliness, Casablanca is launching a hygiene police responsible for raising awareness among the population and reporting offenses. An initiative that Moulay Ahmed Afilal, vice-president of the municipal council, details for us.
In the streets of Casablanca, waste accumulates, despite awareness-raising efforts and investments made. Every day, more than 3,000 tonnes of waste are collected by the delegated companies.
However, certain habits persist, damaging the city’s image. It is to deal with this incivility that the municipality has decided to move up a gear by deploying a hygiene police force.
“Despite numerous awareness campaigns, some people continue to throw their waste anywhere, particularly in green spaces. It’s a major problem,” Moulay Ahmed Afilal tells us.
The objective of this new unit is clear: to sanction in order to increase accountability.
A mission of sanction and accountability
This specialized unit will have the main mission of fining offenders who do not respect the rules of urban cleanliness. “Despite numerous awareness campaigns, certain behaviors persist; waste is thrown anywhere, especially in green spaces,” explains the vice-president of the municipal council.
Thus, any citizen, trader or restaurateur who does not respect waste management standards may be fined 100 dirhams. An amount which could be revised, but which remains moderate. It aims above all to make an impression and to provoke collective awareness.
To ensure the effectiveness of this measure, between 64 and 96 agents will be recruited and distributed across the city’s 16 districts, with a team of 4 to 6 agents per sector.
“These agents will be trained and supervised by the cleaning company Casa Baïa before being deployed in the field with the necessary resources,” explains Afilal.
The establishment of this brigade is planned before the summer in order to ensure better discipline during the summer period, when attendance reaches peaks.
A system that strengthens delegated waste management
Since 2004, the cleanliness of Casablanca has been entrusted to private companies within the framework of delegated management. Currently, the companies ARMA Casablanca and Averda environmental services share this responsibility. These delegatees ensure the collection of household waste, sweeping, washing of roads and the management of green and bulky waste as well as beaches.
To improve their efficiency, several innovations have been introduced, such as geolocated and buried containerization, strengthening IT monitoring and increased awareness actions. However, these improvements are not enough in the face of uncivil behavior.
“It is time to make everyone responsible through concrete actions,” insists Afilal.
The establishment of the hygiene police is part of a broader strategy aimed at improving waste management in Casablanca. The metropolis has already initiated a turning point with the opening of a new controlled landfill in accordance with environmental standards, in order to reduce the nuisance of old illegal dumps.
At the same time, the authorities are exploring more sustainable solutions such as recycling and waste recovery. With this new system, the municipality hopes not only to strengthen discipline, but also to establish a new culture of cleanliness in public spaces. It remains to be seen whether the Casablancais will play the game.
Faiza Rhoul / ECO Inspirations
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