No rest for road sweepers in Nanjing

BEIJING, Jan. 30 -- The heavy snow that has blanketed much of the country in the past three days has become a real headache for sanitation workers in this southern city.

You can see them, clad in orange outfits, with brooms and spades in hand, on every main street, sweeping the snow even as it continues to fall.

"We're working much longer hours these days because of the nonstop snow," 50-year-old Xu Chunzhen, a sanitation worker in Xuanwu district, said.

The snow started early on Saturday morning and has not let up.

Xu and her team of four workers start their day at 4 am and do not finish until 6 pm. It is their duty to keep a 1-km-long street that runs from Xinjiekou to Daxinggong, the city's downtown, free of snow.

"We can't really stop sweeping or the snow will pile up, and it is very dangerous for people to walk and ride bicycles on the snow," Xu said.

"I have worked here for 18 years, and this is the heaviest snow I've ever seen."

Meteorological records show that 37 cm of snow have fallen over the past few days, the most in nearly 50 years. The blizzard paralyzed air, rail and road transport for two days in the city.

Xu's workmate Chen Hai'an and his wife are both sanitation workers. They have been working for more than 12 hours a day for the past four days.

"Though it is a much heavier workload than usual, it's our duty to keep the road safe for traffic and pedestrians," Chen said.

Although he admitted the work is exhausting, he said he is more worried about him and his wife spending so much time away from their 4-year-old daughter. Normally they work on different shifts, so one of them is always at home.

"We've both been working long hours over the past couple days. It can't be helped. So we have to ask our neighbor to help look after her," he said.

"The snowfall has let up, but I hear there will be another storm soon, so I think we'll be busy again when it comes," he said.

Nanjing is expected to see fresh flurries this weekend.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)