Cabinet decided to start a national strategy to reduce pollution in Cairo and other governorates as of early next year. The strategy will start immediately after the end of the study prepared by the ministries of environment and housing on the conditions needed for the project. The decision was taken after Cairo was listed among the biggest polluted cities worldwide. The National Center for Using State-owned Lands is studying a proposal on establishing a national authority for investing wastes, said the head of the center. Speaking to Al-Masry Al-Youm, he said the center coordinates with the Ministry of Defense so that the project, which was proposed by the Environment Advisor to the Ministry of Housing Ahmed Abdel Wahab, would not encroach upon any lands or buildings affiliated to the Ministry of Defense. In addition, there is coordination with all governorates to know the environmental conditions, as waste dumps should be far from winds and underground water so that winds would not carry wastes to inhabited areas. The strategy will put into effect the prime minister's decree on transferring pig farms from Greater Cairo to May 15th district and establish plants for making use of wastes. "It is illogical to accuse the government of remissness after it announced that it would establish a national project," he said. “Citizens' bad behavior was a main reason behind the failure of any projects or plans for disposing wastes from Cairo and other governorates. Egyptian waste is a national wealth that should be made use of,” he added. The Ministry of Agriculture is the only body that should be blamed for burning the rice straw that has polluted Cairo and affected citizens' health. However, the Ministry of Environment was blamed for that problem. For his part, professor of environmental pollution in Banha University Ahmed Abdel Wahab said waste would be transferred to eight areas, each of which will receive waste of three governorates. Waste would be transferred by train because a train can carry a ton of waste for 100 kilometers at a cost of LE 5 only. Egypt Railway voiced willingness to do this task, he added. The first area is a 1000-acre waste burial in east Delta. It would serve Sharkia, Ismailia, Port Said, Dakahlia and Damietta governorates. There is already a railway line that can reach the area. The second 1000-acre area is in west Delta. It would serve Menoufia, Gharbia, Kafr el-Sheikh and Beheira governorates. It is a stone's throw away from Wadi Al-Natroun railway line, so there would not be a need for establishing a new railway line there. The third area is in west Delta desert. The 1000-acre area will serve Alexandria and Matrouh governorates as well as villages of the western and eastern North Coast. The fourth area is in the desert neighboring east River Nile. The 2000-acre area will serve Cairo, Qalioubia and Giza governorates. It needs a short railway line. The fifth waste dump is in the Western Desert near Beni Suef on an area of 1000 acres. It would serve Fayoum and Beni Suef governorates. It needs a short railway line. The sixth area is in the desert neighboring west Al-Bahnasa district. There should be a short railway line to serve Menya governorate. The seventh 100-acre area is in the Western Desert, he added.
