MAKKAH, 11 October 2007 — The administration of the Grand Mosque is intensifying its efforts to keep the Haram clean 24 hours a day: A challenging task considering the traffic that flows through Islam’s holiest site, especially during Ramadan.
There are over 2,000 workers responsible for general day-to-day custodial work during the pilgrimage high season, most of whom are contracted.
The average amount of garbage being removed from the Grand Mosque everyday ranges from 80 tons to 115 tons, according to the administration of the Islam’s holiest site.
Saleh ibn Saleh, the head of the cleaning department at the Holy Mosque, urged visitors and pilgrims to stick with the cleaning rules and put garbage in the bins. The department is also advising pilgrims not to wash with Zamzam water, not only because it is a waste of the holy water intended for drinking but also because it causes slippery floors and a public danger.
The mosque administration said it has supplied 16,000 Zamzam drinking units and 117 fiberglass cisterns for distributing the holy water. According to statistics, 4,200 cubic meters of Zamzam water is distributed everyday inside the Haram.
The mosque administration is also supplying the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah with 1,400 cubic meters of water everyday.
