Azerbaijani officials, MPs organise rally to clean beach of garbage

In honour of Caspian Sea Day, an ‘official’ rally was organised to clean a local beach of garbage in the village of Buzovna. 

The rally was attended by officials, MPs, and members of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, in addition to artists and volunteers. 

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Dirty beaches and futile attempts to clean them

Public beaches near Baku are known for being littered and full of garbage. Though the law allows for a fine for littering, in practice it is rarely applied. 

Every summer, townspeople complain about the buildup of garbage and environmentalists sound the alarm. 

While youth activists often organise clean up sessions at different beaches, the effect doesn’t last long – soon, the trash builds up again. 

What’s special about this rally? 

Today’s rally and cleanup session was different in that it was organised by officials, for officials and with the participation of officials – in addition to several performances by invited artists. MPs and other government functionaries also gave speeches at the rally. 

 The action was held under the motto “We are one, we are together to protect the Caspian Sea.”  

10 hectares of beach were cleared during the cleanup session. 

Organisers of the event say they want to “strengthen the role of society in improving the environmental status of the Caspian Sea and the coastal zone,” Report writes, citing Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Firdovsi Aliyev.

The representative of the ministry once again appealed to the owners of coastal hotels and restaurants with a request to set up a waste treatment plant and not to drain their waste water into the sea.