The recent raids by inspectors of the Labour Departments on labour camps in the Industrial Area outsiide Doha, the capital of Qatar, has prompted several employers to upgrade accommodation facilities of their workers while redressing problems such as poor hygiene in kitchens and toilets. Workers in the Industrial Area have called upon the Labour Department to look into their woes caused by spillage of raw sewage and accumulation of garbage in the locality.
At least one employer has filled up a cesspool that had formed on the labour camp premises, a visit to the area revealed. Other owners have taken steps such as reducing the number of workers sharing a single room, to comply with Labour Department requirements. Yet others have acted to spruce up the kitchens and toilets on their labour camps to ensure they conform to acceptable hygiene standards. The raids last week had resulted in several labor camps being found in gross violation of hygiene and safety standards.
Meanwhile, workers residing in the Industrial Area have also called upon the Labour Department to look into their woes caused by spillage of raw sewage in prominent areas of the locality. One such a location, which houses a major mosque and a shopping complex, were said to be the worst hit. “In the morning, there was almost a pool of sewage here and speeding trucks and cars would cause it to splash on pedestrians,” a community worker pointed out.
The problem, he said, had also been compounded with garbage accumulation at some labor camps and factories in the area. “The shortage of skips to dump garbage is not a major problem. The problem instead lies with companies to try to dispose their domestic garbage without packing it properly in bags as per local rules. When drivers of companies arrive at the Umm Al Affai landfill with improperly packed garbage, they are not allowed to dump.
Municipal garbage vehicles, on the other hand, are allowed to dump unpacked garbage.
This is something that should be looked into since any garbage left without disposal by companies, often ends up on labor camps again,” sources added.
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