Updated on July 13 with figures from the MME

After the merriment, came the mess.

Following the long weekend, Qatar’s most popular hotspots during Eid Al Fitr, including the Corniche, Sealine Beach, Asian Town and other venues, were awash with discarded plastic bags and bottles, paper plates and scraps of food.

The litter upset many people in Qatar, even sparking a debate on popular Facebook group When, Where & How in Doha about personal responsibility and respect.

It's a humid night. The corniche is jammed, and littered with plastic waste. Bummer @dohanews pic.twitter.com/qrQQnscfQO

— Plateful (@nashplateful) July 7, 2016

Some 947 garbage trucks were deployed by the government during the three days of Eid.

On the first day alone, eight tons of garbage were removed from the Corniche by a team of 200 cleaners and 25 trucks, said Safar Al Shafi, Director of the General Cleanness Project at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME).

Speaking to the Peninsula, Al Shafi said that most of that litter was left by the 10,000 workers who flocked to the area from 6am to 10pm on Eid.

He added that the MME plans to roll out awareness campaigns about cleanliness and hygiene.

Cleanup campaign

However, rubbish was found all over public spots in Qatar, not just the Corniche. The mess prompted a request from authorities to please utilize trash cans that are placed around public venues.

In a tweet yesterday, the MME said:

https://twitter.com/Baladiya1/status/751841796565639170

The request isn’t a novel one; for the past three years, the Baladiya has been working to improve public awareness of littering, dumping waste and spitting in public.

It is illegal to litter in Qatar’s public spaces.

Leaving food waste on beaches can lead to a QR100 fine, while residents caught throwing out bags of trash on beaches face fines of QR500.

However, enforcement remains lax, and the issue persists.

Did you notice any rubbish when you went out for Eid? Thoughts?