Qatargas, MoE join hands for beach cleaning drive

CATHERINE W GICHUKI

DOHA QATARGAS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment (MoE), has launched an annual beach cleaning initiative at Al Fuwairit near Al Ghariya located 80 kilometres north of Doha.

The yearly event will take place on every first Saturday of April, which coincides with turtle nesting season. The initiative is aimed at protecting the natural beauty of the country for generations to come.

The first exercise will be held on April 6 when Qatargas employees will clean up a two-kilometre stretch of the beach. The exercise will include removal of rubbish and other debris to keep the beach clean and clear.

In Ras Laffan, the Jetty Gas Boil Off team will clean the beach behind the Qatargas tank farm in cooperation with the Ras Laffan Industrial City.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Qatargas Public Relations Manager Mansour Rashid al Naimi said about 250 Qatargas volunteers will spend the day cleaning the beach as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility programme highlighting the company’s commitment to protect to the environment.

He added that each of the volunteers will receive training on how to avoid disturbing turtle nests while participating in the activities.

“Care for the environment is one of the main pillars of our beliefs at Qatargas. We want our environment to be sustained for the coming generations.

These initiatives show Qatargas’ commitment to the local community and to the future,” Naimi said.

He said that Qatargas was keen to promote pioneering environmental solutions to improve the performance of the LNG and other production facilities.

“Over the past years, we have been leading a number of important environmental innovative projects in Ras Laffan as well as supporting the country’s efforts in this regard. Responsible environmental management is a key element of our CSR programme and our endeavours in this area are fully aligned with the environmental development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030,” he said.

The MoE, on the other hand, will support the initiative in disposing off the collected rubbish and debris in an environment-friendly way.

Director of Environment Protection and Restoration Department at MoE Omar Salim al Naimi said, “We appreciate and welcome this Qatargas’ initiative for ensuring the beaches in the North- Eastern areas of Qatar are kept as clean as possible, especially during the turtle nesting season. We look forward to having a long relationship with such activities on an annual basis.”