The amount of ash that is falling from the volcano in La Palma is so copious that the Los Llanos City Council estimates that the special cleaning teams are removing more than 200 tons from the streets and roofs of buildings in the municipality every day.
This task is being carried out by a large team made up of 50 workers, and around twenty volunteers, in addition to this, the Los Llanos de Aridane City Council has reinforced it with the hiring of several cleaning companies that provide their own machinery and workers, as well as trucks, road sweepers and shovels.
All this, to cover all areas of the municipality and "carry out the work as quickly as possible due to the forecast of rains which will turn it into a thick black sludge, which, unlike snow or slush, won’t melt", said José María Rivera, the councillor for Municipal Services.
The removal of ash is particularly targeted in the southernmost areas of the flows, in the Las Manchas neighbourhood, where streets and roads have to be cleared with heavy machinery to allow cars to drive on them, as this is where it is at its thickest.
The Council has installed 26 skips so that residents can deposit the ash in them, and is working to expand this number to cover all areas of the municipality.
The local government wants to thank all the volunteers and the Civil Protection of Los Llanos de Aridane who collaborate daily with "this arduous task of sweeping and removing ash, their help is greatly appreciated, especially as the protective clothing, masks, and goggles make it even more difficult.”
