Officials vow to fix 'yellow oil' problem
- Source: Global Times
- [09:32 June 09 2010]
- Comments
A Zhaohua Road vendor covers her shop with a tarp Tuesday to prevent "yellow oil" from seeping in. Photo: Cai Xianmin
By Chen Xiaoru
Changning district authorities said Tuesday they are working to eliminate a plant-eating insect that has been nothing, but a pain in the neck to local residents this summer.
The residents say that the aphid insect species, which typically inhabit Golden Rain trees, many of which exist on Zhaohua Road in the central northern district, cause the trees to drip "yellow oil" - an amount of which has been unusually large this season. The oil is a substance that is naturally secreted by the insects.
"The oil makes the leaves stick to the ground, and it takes a lot of time to clean the roads now," Ji Xiuqing, a street cleaner, told the Global Times.
Other residents complain that the mess has made their roads unsafe, particularly for the elderly and those with a mobility-related disability.
"The authorities used to spray the roads down with insecticide twice a week, but the streets have only been sprayed twice this summer," a vendor surnamed Chen who has run a bicycle repair shop on Zhaohua Road for over 20 years, told the Global Times Tuesday. "All the oil has made the roads too slippery for pedestrians, especially the elders who walk along the street every day."
An official surnamed Bai with the Changning district authorities told the Global Times Tuesday that they are urging the company commissioned with the task of ridding the streets of the insect - a job previously taken care of by the authorities - to solve the problem immediately.
"The insects managed to survive the winter, so there are more of them this year compared to previous years," he said. "But, the oil discharged by the insects is not harmful to humans."
Golden Rain trees are not commonly found in the city. Due to their striking beauty and pink hue seen during the wintertime, authorities specially planted them in the district years ago. Camphor and Southern Magnolia trees typically line the streets of Shanghai.
