Dubai: 820 tons of marine waste removed from Creek water by authorities

Dubai Municipality retrieved around 820 tons of marine debris from nine wooden cruise and commercial vessels located deep within Dubai Creek water.

This marks the first phase of the Municipality's annual strategy to clean and preserve sustainability of water canals across Dubai.

In order to improve performance indicators for optimal waste management, reduce carbon emissions, and improve sustainability of Dubai's marine environment, 95 per cent of waste was diverted to waste recycling businesses.

Saeed Abdul Rahim Safar, Director of Waste Operations Department at Dubai Municipality, affirmed the continuation of the Municipality's water canal hygiene plan's first phase across the emirate.

The initiative aligns with the Municipality's goals of providing integrated and effective municipal services, managing waste operations and undertaking marine hygiene work adhering to highest standards every day with the goal of safeguarding Dubai's marine and natural environment and improve its sustainability and attractiveness.

Safar said: “Our strategy is divided into phases with the goal of eliminating all canal waste that obstructs the navigational movement of boats and vessels and disrupts trade and tourism traffic."

"Furthermore, it aims to prevent marine pollution caused by these residues with environmentally dangerous industrial products and substances from engines, which can endanger Dubai's native life and fisheries. A number of major partners from the public and private sectors are also involved in the strategy to guarantee that it is carried out efficiently and within the time frame specified.”

He also mentioned that as part of the first phase of cleaning operations, the team from Municipality have removed three ships and sea boats totalling roughly 310 tons since the year's start.

In the past years, Dubai Municipality recovered 37 sunken shipping vehicles that range from drowning ships and sea boats in addition to mitigating the spread of polluting debris, such as spots and leakage of oils from sunken vessels, collisions, fire and other natural conditions such as algae and dead fish.

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