Who will rid us of this troublesome garbage, ponders Karim El-Khashab A demonstration on Sunday protesting against the mountains of uncollected garbage littering Cairo and Giza streets was another manifestation of an ongoing controversy affecting sanitation in both affluent and poorer neighbourhoods. The protest, organised by the Popular Committee for the Protection of the Consumer (PCPC) in Giza and Kifaya, was triggered by the high piles of garbage cluttering the streets because foreign garbage collecting companies have all but stopped disposing of waste. The problem is most acute in Giza, where Spanish and Italian contractors have refrained from collecting garbage because, they say, they have not received their dues from the state. One Giza resident complained that the stench was so bad on his street, that he often felt sick when he approached his building located in a relatively prosperous part of the city. The problem is so severe, an official at the Ministry of Health told Al-Ahram Weekly, that they received pleas from people asking them to spray dumpsters and garbage piles with antiseptic because they were concerned for their health. The ministry reported that it was ready to do the job, but no means of transportation for the equipment; another ministry had so far refused to provide any. The European companies were contracted by the previous government headed by Prime Minister Atef Ebeid to replace the traditional local garbage collector or zabal. The zabal collected garbage at the doorstep of every household for a small fee, and transported garbage on a donkey-pulled cart to Cairo's large rubbish heaps on Moqattam Hills. The garbage would then be sorted manually either for recycling, reuse or resale. Ebeid decided to scrap this tradition and replace it with a group of foreign companies from Spain, Italy and the UK who would charge every household according to electricity consumption. These companies transport the garbage in large sealed trucks, but instead of sorting the waste and recycling it they either burn it and release harmful emissions into the already polluted Cairo skies, or dispose of it in landfills. The electricity company was charged with collecting the garbage collection fee along with the monthly electricity bill, which infuriated residents because the garbage collection fee was calculated according to their electricity consumption. Many civil society organisations and residents were up in arms, with some winning lawsuits against the state since it is unconstitutional to charge citizens for one service based on another. In response, the government went to parliament and amended the laws, bringing garbage collection under the control of the state and legalising the new payment method. But the masses resisted. According to a study conducted by PCPC, 80 per cent of Giza residents stopped paying the extra charge. This has led to the current stockpiles of rubbish on the streets and a stern government threat that unless collection fees are paid, electricity will be cut off at delinquent households. Residents were further outraged, so the government decided to contract new garbage collecting companies who would charge fixed rates for the service, with higher rates in affluent neighbourhoods and less in poorer ones. The fees, however, would still be appended to the electricity bills. As demonstrated earlier this week, many civil society organisations continue to object, urging citizens not to pay the fees. The protest in Matariya square, on the outskirts of Cairo, did not garner the support expected but a strong police presence was on the scene, nonetheless, to scatter the few dozen protesters. PCPC head Mohamed El-Ashqar told the Weekly that protesters were forcibly dispersed by hundreds of Central Security Forces, but they were able to regroup later and continue their demonstration. El-Ashqar had been arrested prior to another protest on 28 November, but protesters went ahead without him. In a dramatic scene, protesters carried bags of garbage and marched from Giza square to the headquarters of Giza Governorate, where they dumped the contents of their bags. According to the PCPC head, the entire garbage collecting scheme reeks of corruption since he believes there is "absolutely no need" to bring in foreign companies to collect garbage in Egypt. El-Ashqar added that contracts are biased towards the foreign companies which incur no penalties if they don't collect the garbage, as is the case currently. Another point of contention, is the long-term contracts for companies which are unfamiliar and have no previous experience in Egypt. "It doesn't make any sense," he asserted. "These foreign companies are unconstitutional and are only a front for officials to siphon money from the people." El-Ashqar and other activists are determined to end the new system of garbage collection and restore the job of the zabal, who continues to work in many districts. "We will not be intimidated and will intensify our campaign," insisted El-Ashqar. "If they want, they can upgrade the old zabal and replace his rags with slick uniforms and such." Giza Governorate has refuted all accusations, saying that the foreign garbage collectors will improve sanitation and hygiene on the streets, and bring waste disposal in Egypt on a par with similar systems around the world. It stated that the zabal has become an outdated and ineffective profession. While these companies may be foreign-owned, they mainly employ Egyptians with very few foreign staff. When world-renowned movie director Youssef Chahin was recently asked whether it was a good idea for Egypt to develop a nuclear programme, he sardonically responded: "We can't even pick up our own garbage." Whether foreign companies stay on the job or the zabal returns to people's doorsteps, almost all Egyptians share Chahin's cynicism about the uncollected garbage heaps on the streets.
