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KEEP QATAR KLEEN- KQK

As I believe that it is quite appropriate to discuss this subject now which is of vital importance to Doha, I chose QL as the most suitable forum to air my views. Being a traveller to Doha for a couple of times from a fast-improving Asian country (Sri Lanka), I thought, I’m duty bound to enlighten the Qatari authorities on the importance of this matter not underestimating the excellent work that have been already done by authorities but as a citizen of a friendly country of Qatar. I wish Qatar is my second home.

If one visited Sri Lanka in the recent past, one would undoubtedly appreciate the beautification or change of landscape and the cleanliness of the city of Colombo after 2009 with the successful elimination of a 30 year old brutal terrorist outfit called LTTE by the most dedicated professional army on earth in terms of manpower, thanks to the visionary leadership of the then army commander and the defense secretary (before 2009, Colombo was a city many dared to visit due to constant threat of bombs by the terrorists).

Let me share our experience in brief, how the then SL defense secretary utilized the service personnel for the development of Sri Lanka and how Colombo achieved a magnificent development over a period of two to three years just after a prolonged war. At that time the government had a vision of developing Sri Lanka as a major tourist destination and in order to achieve that goal, the government realized the importance of keeping the city and country clean. This is where the then defense secretary as the authority over the defense services came up to utilize the idling defense personnel (surplus of personnel after the war) to achieve the vision of beautifying the city and it was done with a discipline. It’s not only utilizing the manpower that the country was developed, but used many other strategies to make people aware of keeping the city clean and inculcated discipline by advise and through enactment of legislation to punish violators. Today we are proud to say that Colombo is one of the cleanest cities in Asia.

Now let’s turn back to the importance of beautifying & maintaining that beautification in Doha. The authorities need to have a VISION. That vision should be to make Doha the cleanest and most hygienic city in the gulf. If we can work towards that vision we may be able to achieve at least 90% if not 100%.

If we look at the circumstances leading to rapid development of Qatar, undoubtedly the explanation would be the challenge to hold the 2022 world cup series. During my tours of various parts of Doha, I was amazed with the pace of development that had taken place & the ongoing projects, particularly the development of infrastructure for which all residents in Doha should be thankful to the Vision of father Emir, the Emir and the government.

At the same time I felt a pain when I noticed the damage done to these public property by way of littering/ soiling the streets etc., for which mostly the expatriate community should be responsible, just as the way the contribution that have been made by expatriate community for the development. Needless to say that it is not all expatriates who are responsible for these damaging acts, but certain communities are practicing the cultures of their home countries due to ignorance.

Now let’s look at our tasks ahead- Qatar is getting prepared for football WC series in 2022. Now we are passing 2016, and there will be barely 05 years to make people change their bad habits. These bad habits cannot be changed/ converted overnight. Therefore the authorities should act fast to conduct awareness campaigns, bring legislation to keep the miscreants at bay and inculcate good habits in all residents living in Doha. If these can be started immediately, by 2022 the authorities would be able to achieve their goal. All these development is going to be useless unless the authorities take immediate action to ‘KEEP QATAR KLEEN’ (CLEAN) - let’s start with this slogan now and keep it up till world cup and beyond.

As Doha is expecting visitors from around the world for the WC, Doha needs to offer a clean city and also should prove the world that civilization exists in Doha just as in other affluent countries. A clean Doha should welcome the international guests which will make a good marketing opportunity for the future economic growth and sustenance of Doha. Doha can be made a good international shopping destination if we become a little more enthusiastic & innovative. There lies sustenance. If Dubai can, why Doha cannot?

As an expatriate who loves to see a beautiful Doha, I would be glad to share our Sri Lankan experiences with Doha authorities in achieving this challenge.

If interested, the authorities could contact the author of this post by mail < [email protected]> to get free advice on this task. I’m ever willing to share my experiences. Again lets ‘KEEP QATAR KLEEN’ and ‘GO QATAR GREEN’.

Nissanka Seneviratne – Colombo, Sri Lanka.