Areas that need improvement

Dear Sir,

Qatar is a country that has developed tremendously in the last 10 years and the growth is clearly visible in every sector, infrastructure, industry, health, education, etc. But there are areas that still need improvement.

First, the waste management sector. There are trash bins outside all buildings in Doha. People throw food waste and recyclable trash in these bins together. Can an arrangement be made to collect the recyclable waste like glass and plastic bottles, cardboards, etc from these bins every week and send them for recycling by authorities? If such a measure is put into practice, we will be doing our part of contributing to sustainability.

Secondly, the overuse of plastic bags. Every shop in Qatar,  whether  a small grocery or a  hypermarket,  supply its customers unlimited numbers of plastic bags to carry the items they have bought.  But it is doubtful whether these plastic bags are properly disposed of after their use.

Plastic bags pose a threat to the environment. Normal plastic bags do not decompose quickly. Whether they end up in a landfill, a park, or the ocean, the bags will be around for centuries. When they finally begin to break down minute toxic substances will seep into the ground and  wash into lakes, rivers and the oceans.

People  may be encouraged to carry their own bags, either the re-usable types or the previously used ones for shopping. They only have to store just  a few plastic bags in their cars and use them each time when they go for shopping .They can be encouraged to re-use the bags if the shops start charging a small amount for each new bag they take. Once I saw a European woman using her own bags after shopping in the LuLu hypermarket in Gharaffa. I was quite impressed. This can be done by all.  It’s just a small favour we will be doing to Mother Nature.

Thirdly, the promotion of Arabic. Being in an Arabic-speaking country, I believe it’s necessary for everyone living in Qatar to know the language. I think it would be best if the Supreme Council of Education  made it compulsory for all students to study the language from kindergarten until Class 10.

I am an expatriate in this country and studied in a Doha school where Arabic was not compulsory. As a result, I face difficulties in communicating with citizens and other Arabs. It is always best to study the language of the country where you are residing. Parents can be a bit stressed as their children have an additional language to study but I am sure it will be of help to them in the long run.

Jeena Sally Varughese

jsvjeena@hotmail.com

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