Daijworld Media Network - Dubai

Dubai, Nov 19: As it is this time of the year, Dubai sees a huge spike of visitors and hikers to deserts which leaves behind an ugly trail of trash. The Dubai municipality is implementing a comprehensive work programme and intensified its efforts to clean up the trash in the desert areas, which is likely to continue until April next year.

The sites being covered by the civic body include Al Qudra Street extension, Al Ruwaiya-3 area, Al-Warsan-2 and 3, Margham Street, tourist locations in Hatta, Al Qudra Lakes, Love Lakes, the area behind defense camp in Al Aweer, Lehbab-2 area, Tripoli Street, Wadi Al Amardi area, Wadi Al Shabak, Emirates Road, Amman Street in Al Khawaneej, Al Tayy area and all other open land areas in the emirate.

A team consisting of 100 workers, 33 supervisory and control staff, and six desert bikes and 24 different additional mechanisms for transporting and collecting waste has been assigned to follow up the cleaning tasks of desert sites, said director of waste management department, Abdulmajeed Saifaie.

“The municipality staff were able to collect and remove approximately 143 tons of general waste from the beginning of October until mid-November from these sites,” he added.

Saifaie said that an online community awareness is also launched with the slogan 'Together to Sustain the Cleanliness of Desert Areas' to sensitize people on the proper usage and dumping of trash especially barbecue, charcoal and trip waste.

“The implementation of the field awareness programme has also been started for those visiting the desert areas in Al Ruwaya and Al Qudra Lakes. There will be a regular drive for these visitors, and we are trying to use drones in audio awareness operations for the public in hard-to-reach areas and to cover larger areas to optimise the use of this technology in the field of awareness,” Saifaie added.