Qatari officials, approved a new draft law on public hygiene that will impose a fine of up to QR20,000 on people found littering in public places.

Property and company owners found dumping waste in areas not allocated by the municipality will face a penalty of QR20,000. Also leaving animals or birds in places not licensed for breeding will invite a fine of up to QR20,000.

Individuals found leaving waste in non-designated areas will face a fine up to QR10,000. Earlier, the punishment was six months jail term and a fine of up to QR10,000.

The QR20,000 fine is actually a reduction from the original proposed punishment — jail sentence and QR50,000 fine.

Officials that jail sentence and the original fine were both bigger than the violations and hence decided to lessen it.

The draft law prohibits dumping of waste in public places such as squares, roads, streets, lanes, alleys, pavements, courtyards, gardens, parks and beaches as well as land spaces, rooftops, walls, balconies, skylights, corridors and yards, facades of houses and buildings and their car parks and other places, whether public or private.

It was also recommended to notify authorities concerned to build necessary public facilities like toilets and provide dustbins, and parking lots for vehicles and machines.