JOHOR BARU: Authorities are moving to turn the city centre here into a zero-waste zone, with round-the-clock cleaning teams, stricter enforcement and upgraded waste management infrastructure.
Johor Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) director Zainal Fitri Ahmad said the initiative covers an area of about 423,853.52 sq m, within the city area.
“This zone will be developed as a zero-waste area, which means there should be no rubbish here,” he said during the launched of Ops Greater here on Thursday (March 12).
Zainal Fitri added the area involves 13,956 premises, including residential, commercial and institutional buildings.
He said as part of preparations, SWCorp has replaced 10,938 rubbish bins of various capacities ranging from 120 litres to 1,100 litres.
Zainal Fitri added the agency has also deployed 16 waste collection vehicles in the area, comprising 12 large 19-tonne compactors, one 11-tonne mini compactor and three 7.5-tonne vehicles.
He said among the initiatives introduced is the “Sejiwa” programme, which assigns 10 permanent cleaning workers to the city centre.
“These workers will remain stationed here to ensure the area is constantly cleaned instead of relying solely on scheduled cleaning.
“If we depend on a schedule, the area may be clean in the morning but dirty again by the afternoon,” he said.
Zainal Fitri also said another initiative, known as “Operasi Jeleng,” involves patrols using sidecar motorcycles and lorries to collect rubbish spotted along the streets.
He added such patrols were necessary as some individuals continue to dispose of rubbish outside designated collection times.
Zainal Fitri said that the city centre is a key location that receives many visitors, including tourists arriving through the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
“Because this is the city centre and a focal point for visitors, it must be kept 100% clean,” he said.
Zainal Fitri added that enforcement efforts would also be stepped up through regular patrols and monitoring.
Zainal Fitri also that one Singaporean man will be charged in court on April 1 for a littering offence, with several other cases currently under investigation.
“We have about 15 cases that will eventually be brought to court,” he said.
He reminded the public that maintaining cleanliness in the city is a shared responsibility between authorities, workers and members of the public.
Zainal Fitri added the initiative is also part of the state’s broader Johor Green Deal effort to create a cleaner and more sustainable urban environment.
