HCMC to spend $1.2 million on canal clean-up

The municipal department of transport will start implementing the clean-up project this year on Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe, Doi - Te, Tau Hu and Ben Nghe canals.

The total length of all canals is nearly 25 kilometers and the total water surface area is more than 400,000 square meters. 

With one clean-up operation every two days, sanitation workers will pick up 35 tons of waste and water hyacinth per day, on average.

According to the department of natural resources and environment, 70 percent of the waste in canals is domestic waste, including foam, nylon, discarded furniture and animal carcasses. The remaining 30 percent comprise grass and water hyacinth. 

The collected garbage will be taken to the Da Phuoc Landfill in Binh Chanh District.  

Ho Chi Minh City currently has about 170 canals nearly 700 kilometers long that are covered with water hyacinth, which prevents water flow, increases pollution in the inner city and as well as the risk of disease outbreaks. 

According to the municipal finance department, each year, the city allocates about VND1.1 trillion ($47.4 million) for maintaining its drainage system and VND2.8 trillion (about $120 million) and collecting garbage.