It’s bubbling next to the Weidling that drives a piece below the Drahtschmidlistegs in the Limmat, then the head of a diver appears. He snorts, spits out the mouth piece, gasps: “Take the time. This is hard.” Two men in flat rowing boat to grab, pull a construction lamp from the river, then a dripping sports bag, was probably once green. The diver will only need a rest for a moment, then he grabs the basket with a plastic, put the mouthpiece back in and disappears in the twelve degree cold water.

A scuba diver has found a sports bag, a helper lift it into the Weidling. Image: Urs Jaudas

Welcome to the Limmat putzete. Every three years it is held, always in November, according to the Zürifäscht. This is the best Season for action, explains Christian column stone, media spokesman for the city police: “this time of year the water is less turbid.” In addition, the Limmat river not more then ships. The cleaning action is worth it, every year, the roughly 180 Participants – 50 to 60 divers and about 120 helpers in Weidlingen – several tons of waste out of the river. Bicycles, shopping wägeli, traffic signs and, above all, countless glass bottles. “This is a half-glass collection down there,” says one of the divers, shaking his head.

barbecue, washing machine, weapons

Also crazy things may come to the fore. Three years ago, the drum of a washing machine caused a sensation, six years ago, a barbecue, an alternator and a Pump-Action weapon. Weapons discoveries would from time to time, says a column of stone. This is putzete with a reason why the city police is always there at the Limmat river. The other wallets and valuables, which the police ensures that any traces and try to identify the owner. Also, the green sports bag is a case for the police.

In Weidling, who has the bag on Board, there is already another special find: A big round sheet metal table top. Almost everything the divers mountains, is filled with small shells. The aquatic creatures to colonize the debris quickly, often within a few weeks. Also, the shopping cart, the helpers on the shore with a rope and forces to live in the country, is all over with shells, but also algae covered.

fighting against the flow

The action is both for the volunteers in the boats and on Land as well as for the divers exhausting, the cold water is therefore not a Problem. Because it has rained in the last few days, so much is the flow to the diver at the upper Limit, it is a constant battle, in order not to be aborted. The baskets full of bottles that make things even more difficult, says diver Daniel Bernhard: “The are like a sail that pulls you right down.”

Twelve Weidlinge per layer, collect the waste, the divers out of the water mountains. Image: Urs Jaudas

His diving colleague – for safety reasons, divers and divers to have two on the go – had to let go of, therefore, a traffic sign and two Veloräder again. Large, heavy objects mountains, the divers themselves, but attach ropes to it; the volunteers in the boats or on Land, it is then that mountains of the stuff. Sometimes it takes time. With a newspaper such as the Limmat river shiners fought box for twenty minutes until they had pulled him finally out of the river.

The Limmat river and washed up a little way

the Limmat putzete of the city of Zurich is Organised together with the Swiss under water sports Association, the Pontonier – sports club, the Limmat river fishermen and the Limmat club. Joining them will be comedian Beat Schlatter this year, as an Ambassador for clean water, he grabs on a boat for a period of time. Traditionally, the whole Morning as the helpers are high school students of the Kantonsschule Enge. You are amazed at what all comes to the fore. “I would have thought that the people of today know what they cause when they throw waste into the water,” says one of the young people.

And again and again, Velos: a Total of 64 pieces came together at the end. Image: Urs Jaudas

it would be Nice. Actually, the employees of waste management and Recycling the city of Zurich, as well as the water protection police lake and the Watercourses regularly clean, “but without the big Putzete it’s not in the Limmat river, we would,” says police spokesman column of stone. It is simply too much down there. Not that the people of Zurich would especially throw a lot of Güsel in their river – but the river has comparatively little flow, so that the waste remains different than, for example, in the Rhine are.

The balance of the day is: Over fifty cubic meters of garbage, among other things, 64 bicycles, 15 shopping carts, a tin stove, a stroller, a vacuum cleaner, three garden tables, four Gehkrücken, a shower head, some wheel covers, a gun and ammunition – and six E-Scooter. The latter is less than feared. But there is a statement: The water protection police get the Scooters immediately from the water, if it receives a message, because the batteries leak and the Limmat river could pollute with dangerous chemicals. For the Scooter operator doesn’t have a cheap Fun: you have to pay per vehicle one hundred francs.

Created: 09.11.2019, 15:37 PM