A cleanup initiative has been inaugurated in Hulhumalé.

Dubbed ‘Saafu Hulhumalé’, the initiative was launched by Vice President Faisal Naseem during a special ceremony in the capital city’s suburbs on Saturday.

Throughout the course of the programme, cleaning activities will proceed in 40 different areas of Hulhumalé.

Taking the podium at the ceremony, the vice president reiterated President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration’s commitment to protect the environment, ensure road safety as well as providing clean and safe neighborhoods for the Maldivian community.

Highlighting that the government’s first “large-scale” programme after coming into power in November 2019 was a nation-wide cleaning initiative, VP Naseem expressed the government’s continued commitment to eliminate single-use plastics in the country.

VP Naseem also highlighted that one of the major lessons of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is the importance of cleanliness.

In this regard the vice president urged the public to make hygiene and cleanliness a high priority, at all times, and to work towards keeping the country “clean and safe”.

The initiative is by the Housing Development Corporation and was joined by officials from several institutions. HDC revealed plans to carry out the programme in the upcoming year as well.

Earlier, this month, President Solih revealed the government’s target to reach net-zero by 2030, during the ongoing Climate Ambition Summit held virtually by the United Nations in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement.