Government Office Building Uses Sprinklers to Drive Away Homeless

[Annihilation]

广州城管写字楼外装定时喷水装置驱赶露宿者(图)

2015年01月05日 09:56

现场：每次喷水，骑楼下150平方米左右地面基本覆盖。

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原标题：骑楼装喷头露宿者难容身

“每两小时喷一次，每次20分钟。”一位广州市民在江湾大酒店面对珠江边的一段骑楼下，用水桶接起喷头喷出的免费自来水。而原先露宿在喷头下面的近20名露宿者就没有这心情了，自上月底街道城管安装水管定时喷水，大部分人已经被迫离开。街道城管、物管部门回应，这是为了美化市容，不得已而为之。

目击：每两小时喷水20分钟

在江湾大酒店写字楼面对珠江堤岸的一侧，50多米长的骑楼长廊在社区运动设施旁延展。新安装的蓝色水管在天花板的各种管线下铺设，十几个喷头每隔3米左右设置一个。每次喷洒基本把骑楼底下150平方米左右地面全部覆盖，还波及面对江边风景带的石椅。

南都记者探访现场的时候，一位市民正用水桶在喷水口下面接水。“每两小时喷一次，每次20分钟，一个月了，每天24小时都这样……水桶里是乌龟，就在附近江边捞起来的，每天我来接点水用。”接水的市民说，虽然免费用水，但每天洒这么多挺浪费，水费谁给？听说光安装就花费6000多元呢！为了赶跑露宿者。

现在，大部分露宿者已卷铺盖撤离，只剩个别露宿者留下衣物晾晒在水洒不到的骑楼边窗枝上。

义工：露宿者应自力更生

据了解，50米“水帘洞”是广州越秀区珠江街与广信江湾大酒店方面联合铺设。安装由街道城管部门负责，水管由酒店内部引出。由于酒店用水为商业水价，水费由谁出资，酒店与街道城管正在协调。

南都记者看到，水管经加压处理，水滴量分散，流量不大，现在每天喷洒用水用量约0 .5-0 .6立方米。知情人透露，此处部分露宿者其实是附近街区低收入独居群体。“他们把自己的小单元出租，赚上几百块钱，可以自用，自身则露宿在这里。”一位不愿透露姓名的酒店员工说。

坚持一年多，每周三晚均会向该部分露宿者派发饭菜的“悦善100”微义工群在12月初就注意到喷水事件。召集人冯先生更多从露宿者能否因应事件而自力更生的角度出发。他说，过去一年，微义工团体张罗很多类型工作提供给露宿人群，希望他们脱离露宿生涯，“几乎没有一个人愿意去面试，自由惯了，反倒不愿重新融入社会。希望通过更多耐心沟通能让他们接受帮助，调整生活状态。”

但是，义工们对安装“水帘洞”的方法有意见。“谁愿意风餐露宿？白天去拾荒、打散工获得收入。只是微薄的收入支撑不起在广州住房的开支……此举是在制造仇恨吗？”有义工如此说。

城管回应

美化市容不得已为之希望露宿者去救助站

广信江湾大酒店管理处及广州越秀区珠江街证实，安装喷头喷水的确为露宿者而设。

酒店管理处总务部负责人介绍，骑楼下面的露宿者是2002年起陆续聚集，给卫生环境带来不少影响，“这里是甲级写字楼，旁边是高级客房楼层，多年以来经常有客户投诉。一方面这里是珠江北岸主要景观带，很多市民、游客在此游玩；另一方面江边风大，曾经发生多起露宿者冻死的案例。这里确实不太适合他们露宿。”

珠江街城管科回应，以往，通过巡查、设置花基阻挡物等手段，希望柔性引导露宿者离开，均没有成功，才使用淋水的办法希望收效。安装水管之前，他们进行告知、劝导，还送上棉被等生活用品，希望露宿者投向附近救助站。

 

[Annihilation]

Waters sprinklers installed outside hotel in Guangzhou to ‘drive off the homeless’

District government in the southern Chinese city also backed move after guests at hostelry had complained about people sleeping rough

PUBLISHED : Monday, 05 January, 2015, 4:51pm
UPDATED : Monday, 05 January, 2015, 4:51pm

[email protected]

The walkway in Guangzhou. Photo: Nandu.com

Waters sprinklers have been installed at a hotel in Guangzhou to drive off homeless people sleeping or sheltering in a covered walkway outside the building, according to a media report.

More than 10 sprinklers douse the area in water for 20 minutes every two hours throughout the day, the Southern Metropolis News reported.

The sprinklers were installed by the Riverside Hotel Guangzhou and the district government in the Yuexiu area of the city, the report said.

The 50-metre walkway used to be a popular shelter for about 20 homeless people, residents said.

Most have since left the area after the sprinklers were installed last month.

A hotel manager said the homeless people had started sheltering in the walkway in 2002 and guests at the hotel had complained about them.

The government’s urban management authority said installing the sprinklers was a last resort to move the homeless and they had previously tried putting down flower pots in the area to block the space.

Volunteers who used to bring food to the homeless said they had first noticed the sprinklers at the beginning of last month.

“Who is willing to sleep outside? They pick up rubbish in the daytime or work as a labourer, but their minimal income is not enough to afford the rent in Guangzhou,” a volunteer was quoted as saying.

The urban management department said they had informed the homeless about installing the sprinklers.

They were given free blankets and urged to make use of shelters in the area.

The hotel and the urban management authorities are still negotiating about who should pay for the water for the sprinklers, the report said.