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Legacy waste cleanup carried out in 15 islands

Waste Management Corporation Limited (WAMCO) has revealed it has removed legacy waste in 15 islands.

On March 1, the government assigned WAMCO to carry out the Legacy Waste Cleanup project in 20 islands that have the most accumulated waste. WAMCO has seen delays in completing the project in the seven-month time frame due to difficulties following the COVID-19 restrictions.

The project is part of the government's efforts to remove waste that has accumulated in some islands over the years due to a lack of an adequate waste management system. The government estimates that over 100,000 tonnes of waste will be removed from the islands as part of the project.

WAMCO stated it has completed 80% of the legacy waste removal work and is removing an average of 9,000 to 25,000 tonnes of waste from each island.

Speaking to PSM News, Assistant Manager Abdulla Sinan said WAMCO is surveying more islands for legacy waste as part of the project. Sinan highlighted the importance of removing legacy waste and said the accumulation of waste near the beach damages the environment.

Additionally, the government has been establishing waste management systems in the islands and has established means to transfer waste from 32 islands to Thilafushi.

The government is currently working on establishing waste management systems in 15 islands and upgrade the existing waste management systems in 11 islands.