Starting December 1st, the municipal police of Rachaya, a town in Bekaa, will be undertaking a new task: Documenting the violations of throwing waste from cars, and that via mobile cameras. The decision has been taken and the penalty is quite unusual on how constructive it is: Planting a tree in a public property designated for this purpose!
Rachaya is one of the Lebanese villages of Rachaya District in the Bekaa Governorate. It is famous for its castle where the men of Lebanon’s independence were imprisoned, and also for its clean air and great natural scenes.
Creative and constructive, this municipal rule will ensure the decrease of street littering, which usually is a disaster with every coming winter. Some types of waste become very harmful in the long term, while other types can cause fires, which we have had enough of.
Via بلدية راشيا الوادي – الصفحة الرسمية
This new rule will also favor the environment of the district in particular and the reforestation of Lebanon in general; a matter that is much needed. Many organizations and municipalities are now working on protecting what we have left of our forests, and on making up for the ones we lost in the recent wildfires.
Over a month ago, dozens of wildfires erupted around Lebanon, resulting in the loss of some rich forests and a high number of trees in Chouf, Akkar, and many other regions.
This makes this sanction applied by the municipality of Rachaya perfect for the meantime. If this initiative is generalized in various areas, it could support reforestation and help solve this major environmental problem in Lebanon.
In further actions towards the benefit and protection of the environment and the people of the area, the municipality if Rashaya has also advised its people to grow wheat, which will be useful during this tough period.
That advice of the municipality comes also with its support, as it is offering to even provide the residents with free plowing to whoever wishes to plant wheat. The municipal police have also organized patrols in locations overlooking the forests of the town to prevent any logging.
Via بلدية راشيا الوادي – الصفحة الرسمية
In the hope that Rashaya’s new initiatives will motivate all other villages and municipalities in all Lebanese regions to do the same.
The environment is a national responsibility and everyone must work on preserving it. Now that every aspect of Lebanese life is deteriorating, it is encouraging to see people working on protecting the main thing that makes our country beautiful.