KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality is pushing for stricter fines for public cleanliness violations, following complaints about piles of trash left at Shuwaikh Beach over its opening weekend. The Assima Governorate’s cleaning team stepped in immediately after large crowds of families and children visited the newly opened beach, removing all waste left behind.
Municipality Spokesperson Mohammad Al-Sandan said the rising amount of litter in public areas has created a burden “beyond the capacity of cleaning workers.” “There is a pressing need to impose fines for cleanliness violations,” Al-Sandan said in a statement, noting that fines for littering should be “similar to those enforced in traffic, electricity, water, and environmental laws.”
Following the incident, Kuwait Municipality said it has put a comprehensive plan in place to manage Shuwaikh Beach. Faisal Al-Otaibi, Al-Assima’s Director of cleaning and road occupation, said the municipality added more trash bins and increased the number of cleaning workers. “Things are under control,” he told Arabic-language local newspaper Al-Rai.
The municipality deployed 25 cleaning workers, along with five 1,100-liter bins and 15 240-liter bins, as previous containers could not handle the volume of waste. Al-Otaibi also highlighted the challenges of getting cleaning vehicles onto the site during the busy opening days. Under direct supervision from the municipality, workers removed more than 600 bags of trash and used a compactor capable of handling eight to 12 tons of waste.
According to Al-Otaibi, fine for littering outside designated areas is KD 100 and is referred directly to the public prosecutor. Al-Sandan urged authorities to approve “deterrent fines commensurate with the scale of public cleanliness violations.” He said stricter penalties could play “an effective and significant role in preventing the dumping of household waste in roads, squares, and open spaces,” highlighting that improper disposal has been on the rise in multiple public areas.
The beach incident quickly drew attention on social media. Users posted videos and comments showing trash scattered across the walking paths, green areas and playgrounds. One user wrote: “What’s the solution? It’s heartbreaking.”
Other users called for stricter enforcement and better infrastructure. “Everyone represents themselves and their upbringing — there should be fines for anyone who leaves a mess,” one comment said. Another asked, “Where is the environmental police?” The municipality said cleaning teams will be deployed to Shuwaikh Beach around the clock. — Agencies
