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Dubai steps up cleanliness in desert zones

Dubai - Drones to be used in audio awareness operations for the public in hard-to-reach areas.

It is that time of the year when desert trips see a huge spike and visitors as well hikers leave behind an ugly trail: barbecue residues, coal waste and other obnoxious trash.

The Dubai Municipality has intensified its efforts to clean up the mess in these areas, while implementing a comprehensive work programme that will continue until the end of 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 has been assigned to follow up the cleaning tasks of desert sites, consisting of 100 workers, 33 supervisory and control staff, and six desert bikes and 24 different additional mechanisms for transporting and collecting waste, said Abdulmajeed Saifaie, director of Waste Management Department.

Saifaie pointed out that the municipality is always keen to provide workers and supervisors with various equipment and means for storing waste and barbecue residues, in order to maintain the cleanliness of such sites around the clock.

“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.

Awareness drive with drones!

Saifaie said that the implementation of the online community awareness campaign, titled 'Our Desert is Beautiful' under the slogan, 'Together to Sustain the Cleanliness of Desert Areas', has been launched on websites and social media sites to sensitise people about the proper ways to deal with 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,” he added.

Saifaie pointed out the visitors are called on to show a sense of social responsibility, ensure that the place is clean before departure, use storage facilities designated for waste disposal and barbecue residues, and not to set fire to the sand directly, and to use the fireplace designated for that.