THE first municipal government-funded undersea cleanup project was launched recently at Xichong Beach, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported, citing information released by the public works bureau in Dapeng New Area.

The cleaning range extends across the whole sea area, which is about 600,000 square meters. At present, the daily cleaning is focused on around 100 meters below the surface and four to five tons of rubbish is handled per day, the report said.

Super Typhoon Mangkhut destroyed facilities, houses and trees around Xichong last year. Under the instruction of the city’s leaders, Dapeng dismantled a total of 955 buildings with a floor area of 43,476 square meters within five months as part of the post-disaster reconstruction.

The cleanup project is another such effort, as a staffer with the bureau told the Daily, the typhoon not only wrecked road facilities but also impacted the undersea ecosystem, which might present hidden perils to the public when they are partaking in undersea activities.

When the reporter with the Daily visited the place, 17 divers were taking turns doing the work. A Shenzhen-based dive company is responsible for the cleanup project, according to an engineer, surnamed Zhu, with the bureau.

Each staffer works eight hours each day, unless there is thunder, and works undersea for an average of four hours, using four bottles of oxygen per day.

The whole cleanup project is expected to be concluded by the end of June, according to the report. (Wang Jingli)