More than 100 tons of waste were caught from Dubai Bay during the cleaning of the water area.
Dubai, UAE. More than 100 tons of waste were caught from Dubai Bay during the cleaning of the water area: some notable finds included refrigerators, a huge number of plastic bottles and even a Buddha statue. According to the Dubai municipality, the total weight of the rubbish raised from the bottom is equivalent to a mass of 300 adult elephants (which elephants in question are Indian or African, not specified).
The main culprits for the clogging of the water area were recognized as crews of sea and river vessels, dhow boat operators and local fishermen. The municipality warns that the dumping of waste into the water threatens with heavy fines. “Throwing waste into the Dubai Creek makes it difficult for ships to move and clog up the water: due to debris and fuel leakage from the boats, the water has turned dark green,” said Yakub Al Ali, head of the department of hygiene in the municipality.
He clarified that last year two sunken dhow boats with a total weight of 85 tons were lifted from the water. A lot of waste remains from tourist and merchant ships that dump ballast or just household garbage during excursions. The maximum fine for dumping garbage into the water is 500 dirhams (US $ 137).
