Ireland Turns to Drones to Fight Illegal Dumping
The Irish government is turning to drones and CCTV cameras to tackle the ever-growing problem of illegal dumping, the Irish Minister for Environment, Denis Naughten, said as he launched the initiative. This latest initiative by the Irish government to finally curb illegal dumping will also see the government increase the funding for local clean-up projects. He described the illegal dumping as economic and environmental treason.
Drones to Secure Prosecutions
The government will use drones to monitor the areas that are notorious for illegal dumping. Mr. Naughten noted that the government is aware of these areas. It also knows the particular times of the year when the dumping is rampant, and drones would be used to capture the culprits.
The drones would be used to capture the faces of the culprits, giving the government the ability to identify them. Armed with the identities of the people responsible for the dumping, the government could then be able to secure prosecutions for the culprits and bring this practice to an end. Mr. Naughten went on to further indicate that the government is after the “man with the van” who illegally collects rubbish from residential and commercial premises for a fee without a permit and then proceeds to illegally dump it.
Drones are already being used in Ireland to fight illegal dumping which has been one of the biggest environmental problems. Some of the local authorities are employing drones to survey areas for illegal dumping. Usually, the drones are used to find out if dumping has already taken place. This new initiative will however take it a step further and target the people doing the dumping.
Ireland’s Efforts to Fight Illegal Dumping
This is a reinforcement of the government’s longstanding efforts in fighting illegal dumping. Last year, the government through the Ministry of Environment allocated €1.3 million for clean-up projects and restoration efforts. The money was used to remove more than 2,800 thousand tons of waste from public beaches, private residential areas and walking routes.
The funding this year has increased to €2 million, a portion of which the ministry will use to secure drones. The drones will complement the other measures by the government and could end up getting rid of the problem of illegal dumping for good. Those captured dumping by the drones and prosecuted will serve as a warning to the rest and this will hopefully rid the streets of Ireland of the waste.
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