KUALA TERENGGANU: The Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT) spent RM40,000 on waste clean-up operations at the RXZ Members 8.0 event site at the Gong Badak Motor Racing Circuit near Kuala Nerus, following the programme held from Friday (July 31) to Saturday (Aug 1).
Kuala Terengganu mayor Lizan Che Mamat said the cost covered overtime payments for workers, additional lorry trips, and extended operating hours at the Sungai Ikan landfill here, nothing that participants still littered indiscriminately although rubbish bins had been provided throughout the venue.
"A total of about 130 tonnes of solid waste, mainly food and beverage packaging, was collected from the RXZ Members 8.0 event site. As a result, we had to increase the number of waste collection trips, while MBKT personnel were required to work overtime to ensure the city remained clean.
"We understand that the number of rubbish bins provided may have been insufficient because attendance exceeded 100,000 people. However, waste should have been gathered at designated collection points rather than being discarded everywhere," he said when contacted Monday (Aug 3).
Consequently, Lizan said MBKT would consider making it compulsory for organisers of large-scale events to submit a solid waste management plan as a condition for approval in the future and that the council would also review the cleaning deposit imposed on organisers to help reduce the financial burden borne by the local authority.
"We welcome the organisation of large-scale activities and programmes in Terengganu because they help stimulate tourism and the local economy. However, we would like to remind everyone that keeping the environment clean is a shared responsibility," he said. - Bernama
