DOHA: The Industrial Inspection Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment warned about 60 companies last year and during the first quarter of this year over violating environment protection specifications.
The department also issued more than 190 permits to operate in the first quarter of this year and over 600 last year.
The department is intensifying inspection and monitoring of industrial companies which violate Law No. 30 of 2002 related to environment protection, he added.
Al Marri said they check violations related to environment protection and work site environment which include the percentage of pollution, use of sewage water for irrigation, proportion of pollutants, workers’ safety, and the quality of water discharged into the sea.
“In case of small companies, we focus only on the internal working environment such as workers’ safety and special clothes they have to wear because there is no emission.
“In case of big companies and factories, we focus on the measurement of emissions.
“Cases involving some companies have been referred to public prosecution for violating the law regulating environment protection,” he added.
The department inspects factories and companies which use dangerous materials to operate their facilities, Al Marri said.
He also stressed that the ministry does not grant or renew a company’s permit to operate unless it complies with requirements for environment protection.
He said the department coordinates with concerned administrative units to set up plans to curb oil pollution, monitor environmental pollution and take measure against violators.
Its inspectors cover over 700 small industrial firms by making a minimum of two visits a year, in addition to surprise visits.
Special inspections are deployed in the Industrial Area which has the highest number of activities and workers across the state, Al Marri said. He said the department also endeavours to use the best available electronic technologies to make inspectors’ work easier so that they can forward details to the ministry fast. The ministry has a database which shows the location of each company and is regularly updated.
