“The reason for the fish deaths is similar to previous years. However, there are more dead fish this year because the PH level and temperature in the canal water are higher,” said Nguyen Phuoc Trung, director of the city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, adding that test results show the water in the canal has been polluted after the first heavy rain of the season.
Local residents should not collect the dead fish or use them for animal feed, Trung warned.
The department has dispatched 16 canoes to collect the dead fish in an attempt to avoid air and water pollution around the canal.
Saigon has invested $390 million over the last 10 years to give the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal a new face. It runs for about eight kilometers through District 3, Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan and Binh Thanh.