Are donation boxes becoming a public nuisance?

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Thousands of charity collection boxes across the Northern Governorate are being removed after municipal checks found that many were poorly managed, illegally placed and, in some cases, not even properly tracked by the organisations whose names they carried.

The Northern Municipality has launched a campaign to remove around 5,000 boxes from streets and neighbourhoods, giving owners three months to reclaim them before they lose the right to do so.

The issue was raised during the final meeting of the Northern Municipal Council’s term at its headquarters in Budaiya, where officials described the scale of the problem as unusually large.

Control

Northern Municipality director-general Mohammed Al Sehli said the campaign began with boxes that were visibly damaged, unhygienic or placed in ways that affected the public view.

He said 5,000 boxes in one governorate was a major number and reflected the extent of the problem.

Owners have been given three months to collect the removed boxes, after that, they will no longer be able to claim them.

Tracking

Mr Al Sehli said investigations revealed that some charity societies did not have a clear picture of where their own boxes were located or how many were operating under their names.

In many cases, he said, private companies managed the boxes on behalf of charities in return for a share of the proceeds.

This raised questions over whether the donation containers were being properly monitored once placed in residential areas and along public roads.

Hazards

Councillor Abdulla Al Qobaisi, who has pressed for action since 2023, said residents had complained for years about boxes placed in unsuitable locations.

He said some motorists stop on busy roads with their hazard lights on to drop items into the containers, creating accident risks.

The boxes, he added, also block visibility at intersections, affect neighbourhood appearance and create unnecessary hazards.

Nuisance

Municipal officials said some boxes had become public nuisances rather than organised donation points.

Their condition, location and lack of regular maintenance had made them eyesores in several areas.

Mr Al Qobaisi also said animals had taken shelter inside some boxes, leading to distressing incidents when the metal doors closed.

Removal

The removal operation is being carried out by municipal sanitation teams led by cleanliness chief Hamad Buallay.

Mr Al Sehli said the team is working hard to clear affected areas while continuing its regular daily duties.

He said the task is not easy because the number of boxes recorded in the Northern Governorate is the highest by far among Bahrain’s governorates.

Auction

Dozens of confiscated boxes are already being stored in municipal warehouses.

They are expected to be sold through a national public auction once the municipality completes its final inventory.

Officials said the campaign is aimed at restoring order to public spaces, improving neighbourhood appearance and ensuring donation activity is carried out through properly managed channels.