Some of Qatar's beaches are becoming "dirtier and darker" due to leftover charcoal and waste thrown by unconcerned beachgoers, it is learnt.

Many residents who visit beaches on weekends have noticed that the sand have become darker.
“You will see that a large portion of the beach’s sand is turning black,” said an Asian resident, blaming groups of beachgoers who only cared about bathing and picnicking without properly disposing of garbage in bins located near them.
She said small pieces of charcoal could be seen along some of the beaches that were popular among picnickers.
This was echoed by other visitors, who said waste such as disposable plastic, plastic candy and chocolate wrappers, and food leftovers, among others, posed health and environmental concerns to humans and marine life.
“I went to Mesaieed a few weeks ago with some friends and we were fascinated by the clear waters of the beach. However, we were disappointed with the conduct of some visitors who destroy the beauty of the place,” said Jay-R, a long-time Filipino expatriate in Qatar.
Meanwhile, many volunteers have been lauded for using their free time and weekly offs to join in cleaning the beaches.
The Ministry of Municipality and Environment has repeatedly been advising visitors to properly dispose of their waste and maintain cleanliness at beaches.
Some concerned groups are also continuously urging beachgoers to clean the area on the beach where they sit and enjoy, and dump the leftover charcoal and garbage in trash bins before leaving.
“Beach cleaners can have a very difficult time removing these small pieces of charcoal, unlike other items such as plastic water bottles, which can easily be picked up,” a volunteer noted.
The good news, he pointed out, was that several groups and companies in Qatar organised regular cleanup activities to raise public awareness on the adverse effects of rubbish left on the beach.
A campaign was organised in Al Wakrah to clean the family beach there, which was attended by French ambassador Eric Chevallier and French expatriates living in Qatar.
The activity was part of the Qatar Sustainability Week 2016 by Qatar Green Building Council, aimed at further engaging the community in a wide range of sustainability-oriented activities.
Meanwhile, the Doha Beach Clean Project has urged beachgoers - through Facebook - to take at least two bags of waste each time they visit a beach “to encourage change”.
The group, together with other volunteers and expatriate communities in the country, organises cleanup activities on different beaches in Qatar such as Fuwairit, Simaisma, Mesaieed and Dukhan.
Similar activities are expected to take place in the coming weeks at the onset of the winter camping season.