22,000 gear up for Dubai cleanup

BY PMA RASHEED
The Gulf Today, 22 Oct 2009

The UAE's largest voluntary cleanup drive titled "Clean-up the World" will witness this year the participation of nearly 22,000 volunteers including school and university students, NGOs and community groups joining hands in cleaning up designated sites across Dubai.
Observed under the banner "Communities Uniting to Clean up and Conserve the Environment," the 4-day environment campaign will kick off on Oct.27 and run until Oct.30. It will line up a host of activities and awareness initiatives aimed at reducing waste and encouraging the public to reuse or recycle, according to Dubai Municipality (DM).
"The main areas for clean up activities will be Nadd Al Shiba, desert area in Wadi Al Amradi, bachelor accommodation areas in Al Quoz, Nadd Al Hamr, Al Khawaneej, Al Aweer area behind Defence Camp, Al Qusais Labour Camp and Ras Al Khor Natural Sanctuary," said Hassan Makki, Director of Waste Management Department at DM.
"Other areas include Jaddaf Fishermen's Village, Jumeirah-1 Fishermen's Village, Heritage Village area, Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim open beaches, Hatta Tourist areas, Industrial areas, Jebel Ali Port Free Zone area, Diving Beach and Creek, and labour camps, he added.
According to him, the campaign is aimed at improving public cleanliness in the emirate in cooperation with individuals, government establishments, private firms and non-governmental organisations through effective participation.
Inaugural day
Yaqoob Al Ali, Coordinator of the Clean-up the World campaign, said, "The official launch of the event will be held on Tuesday at Al Mamzar Corniche. Beginning at 10am, the launch will witness signing an agreement on collection of religious publications and newspapers from mosques."
"Programmes include activities on avoiding throwing cigarette butts on public places, environment-themed stage presentation by school students, recreation sessions for students through workshops, most beautiful painting competition for school students, clean-up activities at the fishermen's village and honouring and distribution of certificates and souvenirs to the participants," he added.
Second day
Al Ali explained, "The second day of the campaign has been planned with activities to be conducted at Al Mamzar area. Volunteers from government educational institutions will be active in cleaning-up the area, and the programme will include distribution of litter bins to schools, abandoned vehicles removal campaign in coordination with the operations unit and honouring participants and distribution of certificates and souvenirs."
Third day
According to him, volunteers from private schools, colleges and universities will join together at Al Sufooh, on the third day of clean-up campaign. A can collection competition will also be held for private schools.
"In addition to organising workshops on pests in and around waste bins, in coordination with the operations unit, participants will be honoured with distribution of certificates and souvenirs," said Al Ali.
"Organised on the sidelines of the campaign at one of the shopping malls, the awareness programmes include workshops for general public on recycling and reducing waste, which will also focus on making usable materials from waste, distribution of saplings to public to encourage horticulture and its role in curbing climate change, and distribution of awareness publications," he added.
For schools
"Meanwhile, the educational sessions for schools include broadcasting campaign programmes on school radios, lectures. Workshops for school students will give lessons on the importance of waste reduction, arranging visits for students to waste recycling factories and natural sanctuaries in the emirate of Dubai," he noted.