Maldives’ rubbish island ‘overwhelmed with garbage’
December 8th, 2011 - 9:04 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattThilafushi, Dec 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) An artificial island in the Maldives which the country has reserved almost exclusively for the dumping of rubbish has been overwhelmed with garbage. The country has subsequently banned rubbish from being dumped at Thilafushi which is named the Rubbish Island for the time being.
The Maldives which is regarded as one of the best tourist destinations in the world is noted for its beauty. However the artificial island which is located about 7 km from the country’s capital is a different story. Officials say the refuse has overwhelmed the place to the extent that it is currently seeping into the country’s lagoons.
The country has subsequently stopped all further refuse dumping at the location and started an emergency process to get the rubbish cleared. Bangladeshi migrant workers often collect items from the damp site which they take to the bosses for onward sale.
The head of Maldives’ Environmental Protection Agency, Ibrahim Naeem, in a conversation with the BBC said that truck drivers and operators who bring in the rubbish should be blamed for the spill-over arguing that the island could have taken in more refuse if the drivers had unloaded properly.
Officials say Thilafushi will remain closed until the lagoon is cleared.
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Tags: bbc, best tourist destinations, different story, environmental protection agency, extent, garbage, lagoon, lagoons, maldives, migrant workers, naeem, rubbish, spill, truck drivers