Authorities in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, are resorting to a new kind of installation to keep the homeless from squatting on public property, Southern Metropolis Daily reported Tuesday.

The city has set up an array of short cement pyramids under several bridges that are designed to prevent people from stretching out bedding or setting up camp.

The densely packed cement blocks have been spotted under the Wuxianqiao Bridge on Guangzhou Avenue North and under the Wushang Road underpass at Hanjing Road.

Some shop owners close to the Airport expressway said the barriers under the bridge cover more than 200 square meters, and appear to have been installed to prevent people from sleeping there overnight.

A sanitation worker told the Guangzhou-based newspaper that the pointy cement blocks might be designed to prevent pedestrians using the underpass as a walkway.

No government agency in the city has confirmed that it has set up the mini barriers.

Some Weibo users called the barriers a masterpiece installed by the city's urban management commission, but the commission told the newspaper it was not responsible.

A staff member of the Airport expressway operator said although it is responsible for maintaining the zone under the bridge, the pyramids were installed by the urban services department of Tianhe district.

"There were so many homeless people staying under the bridge and some even cooked there, bringing risks to the expressway's operation," the staffer said.

Proponents of the barrier said the homeless should be banned from living in public areas and their heaps of belongs tarnish the city's image.

Opponents say the officials should treat the homeless with care.

Han Zhipeng, delegate to the Guangzhou People's Political Consultative Conference, said it is inhumane to use the barriers to target homeless people.

"If we really care about them, authorities should focus on their rescue," Han added.

Global Times