Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
The capital has lived for two days, at the rate of a large collective broom. The 7ᵉ cleaning campaign, launched under the high patronage of the Algiers wali, Mohamed Abdennour Rabhi, which continued until this Saturday at the end of the day, mobilized all the living forces of the city with the aim of restoring the streets, erase blackheads and recall that cleanliness is everyone’s business.
This initiative, organized under the unifying slogan “Ntâawenou Chouia, Houmtena Tebqa Nqiya” (“let’s unite our efforts to keep our neighborhoods clean”), is not limited to a simple collection of garbage. It carries a wider ambition, that of establishing a sustainable civic culture where each inhabitant contributes to preserving their living environment.
From the first hours of the day before yesterday morning, the technical services of the wilaya and the municipalities, supported by public establishments, local elected officials and numerous associations, were deployed across the capital. Large arteries, green spaces and residential complexes have seen collection trucks, heavy machines and cleaning brigades. The objective is to eradicate wild deposits, treat black dots and give a new image to Algiers, a showcase of the country.
This vast operation is the fruit of careful preparation. Before the launch, the Algiers wali had brought together all the actors concerned for a coordination meeting. He had given firm instructions so that the campaign should not be reduced to a symbolic gesture or an ephemeral action. On the contrary, it must attack in depth to the real causes of unsanitary conditions and initiate a lasting change in behavior.
The cleaning operation therefore largely exceeds the removal of garbage. It included the maintenance of gutters and wadis in order to prevent floods as the fall season approaches, the repair of water leaks in several districts, the rehabilitation of green spaces, as well as the restoration of public lighting. The services concerned have also been examined to repair road signaling and aesthetic enhancement of major axes, in particular by installing decorative lighting.
To these structuring sites are added specific measures to improve the daily lives of the inhabitants. These include the lifting of abandoned vehicles, fights against the illegal occupation of sidewalks by certain traders, treatment of basements of buildings often invaded by harmful. So many complementary actions that testify to the authorities’ will to tackle all the factors that deteriorate the quality of life in urban areas.
An essential citizen dimension
In parallel with interventions in the field, an awareness campaign was launched to accompany the movement. Posters, local meetings and educational actions remind the inhabitants that the cleanliness of a city cannot be based solely on the action of public institutions. It requires the active participation of all, inhabitants, traders, associations and young volunteers. This is all the more so since the success of this campaign will depend on the ability of citizens to appropriate collective effort and extend it over time. Because it is not only a question of punctually cleaning the streets, but of bringing out a real culture of civility and respect for the environment.
The wilaya already plans to extend this initiative by a periodic action plan. This will be based on regular follow-up in the field, a continuous evaluation of operations and rapid corrections in the event of failures. The objective is to guarantee the sustainability of the achievements and to prevent today’s efforts from being erased tomorrow by new accumulations of waste.
This vision is part of a more global strategy which aims to make Algiers a modern capital, attractive and respectful of its environment. Local authorities are aware that urban cleanliness is not only a question of image, but an issue of public health, quality of life and collective dignity.
On this last weekend in August, Algiers is not content to sweep the streets. It initiates a real reconquest of its urban space. The 7ᵉ Cleaning campaign is perceived as a life -size test, it is a question of demonstrating that, by the mobilization of all, the capital can take up the challenge of cleanliness and rise to the large metropolises which have made hygiene and the environment a priority.
Giving the city a face worthy of its rank, improving the living environment of the inhabitants and strengthening their feeling of belonging, these are the objectives that this operation intends to achieve. But beyond immediate results, the establishment of a new state of mind is at stake.
Algiers, offering a collective broom, sends a strong message. The one that cleanliness is not a luxury, but a shared duty. And through this initiative, the capital traces the contours of a greener future, cleaner and more livable.