DUBAI // A 100-tonne wooden boat was retrieved from Dubai Creek on Sunday as part of Dubai Municipality’s clean-up campaign.
The campaign was launched in June by the municipality’s waste management division to rid Dubai Creek of sunken ships, boats and equipment.
“The canals team of the department of hygiene was set up to tow out the sunken boat without causing any damage [and] taking into account the security requirements of occupational safety,” said Abdul Majeed Saifaie, director of the Waste Management Department at Dubai Municipality, adding that the extraction of the vessel took place in cooperation with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Customs, Emirates Marine Environment Group, divers and private companies.
Modern equipment and boats were used in the cleaning processes after security clearances were granted by the relevant authorities.
Mr Al Saifaie said in June that sinking vessels were causing environmental problems to the water, impeding traffic and hampering the abilities of vessels to moor in the port.
In July, a fire gutted two boats that sunk into the creek after Civil Defence firefighters battled the flames for close to three hours. The blaze also consumed cargo stacked in cartons and sacks on the dockside.
An estimated 150 tonnes of debris was cleared off the wharf once Dubai Police completed its investigations into the cause of the fire.
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