Trash skimmers to clean up Dubai’s water channels

By PMA RASHEED

The Gulf Today, 29 Oct 2010

DUBAI Municipality (DM) has launched two trash skimmers, a type of vessels used for cleaning up water channels, at Dubai Creek on Wednesday on the sidelines of the country’s largest voluntary clean-up drive “Clean-up the World 2010.

Hassan Makki, director of waste management department at the DM, said that the vessels have a capacity of absorbing 500 kilogrammes of waste in one trip.

“The boat is equipped with high pressure fire-fighting system and water can be pumped using this system to wash the waste on rocks and the sticky waste resulting from wave cracking,” he added.

“The waste collector boats made of marine aluminum are seven metres long, 0.8 metres deep, and three metres wide. They can move at a speed of six nautical miles per hour,” he elaborated.

Makki revealed that a massive amount of 2,410 tonnes of waste has been collected from Dubai’s streets during the first two days of the Clean-up the World campaign 2010.

According to him, a total of 21 abandoned vehicles were removed from different parts of the city in two days.

“Over 13,800 volunteers, including students and employees from private and public sectors in the emirate engaged in a variety of cleaning activities at different locations across the city,” added the head of the four-day campaign task force.

“More than 2,020 tonnes of waste was collected by 9,750 volunteers from 202 private companies, hotels, community groups and NGOs. About 3,150 students from 42 government schools, colleges and universities picked up a total of 280 tonnes of waste from Al Warqa-4 Beach area,” explained Makki.

“As many as 900 volunteers from 12 government departments collected 110 tonnes of waste from the beach area. A total of 40 pieces of bulk waste including furniture, air conditioners and refrigerators were also collected,” he noted.

The Clean-Up the World campaign has been inaugurated by the civic body’s Director General Hussain Nasser Lootah at Jumeirah Beach Residence on Tuesday.

“Jaddaf Area will be cleaned up on the concluding day of the campaign, witnessing participation by thousands of volunteers from the general public, community groups and private entities,” said a DM spokesperson.

(Image supplied)