EEAA monitors environmental standards in sites of rice straw collection

CAIRO - 12 August 2019: Officials at the Ministry of Environment made a field visits to a number of sites of rice straw collection to monitor any irregularities in Delta in a way to prevent burning it, said the ministry in a statement on Monday.

Representatives of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency at the Ministry (EEAA) made field visits to eight sites at Dakahlia governorate, increasing the number of checked sites to 50 areas, the statement added.

Burning rice straw in Egypt is considered the main cause of what is known as "the black cloud," a thick layer of smog from burning rice straw that spreads across Cairo for an extended period of time. Egypt’s weather has been witnessing severe changes during the past period and varied between extreme cold and rain to sandstorms and high temperatures.

The Egyptian government has adopted measures to encourage gathering rice straw to put into effect an agro-waste system introduced by the ministry instead of burning it, said Minister of Environment Khaled Fahmyin 2017.

Last year, EEAA head Mohamed Salah, statedthat legal action has been taken by the Ministry of Environment against farmers who continue to burn rice straw. The ministry seeks to curb “the black cloud” which is regarded as one of the main causes of climate change.