Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have proposed the spending of over VND2.5 billion (US$108,130) on the rental of modern machines to clean up garbage along local canals on a regular basis.

The municipal Department of Transport has submitted a document to the People’s Committee, suggesting that modern technology and machines be used in the collection of solid waste along a section of the Vam Thuat River, Truong Dai Canal, and Tham Luong Canal in Binh Thanh District, Tan Binh District, Go Vap District, and District 12.

The machines will be rented in November and December, and the garbage collection will be carried out 15 times per month.

The specific river and canal sections have a large amount of water hyacinths and rubbish, which obstruct waterway traffic and pose high risk of environmental pollution, the transport department stated, adding that the clean-up must be done promptly.

The collection of solid waste in the two months will cost approximately VND2.5 billion ($108,130), excluding the cost of loading, unloading, and transporting the waste to local treatment facilities.

The process will utilize two main ships equipped with specialized machines, tugboats, and barges.

The solid waste will be gathered at three locations in Go Vap District before being taken to the city’s treatment plant.

The use of these vehicles and machines was previously piloted on October 9 on a section of the Vam Thuat River in Go Vap.

The ships were able to collect about 30 metric tons of garbage, which was 10 metric tons higher compared to current methods.

Local residents also gave positive feedback on the use of the new technology.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities have been focusing on cleaning up local rivers and canals since 2013, but the effort is still limited by the lack of modern devices and vehicles, which resulted in low efficiency.

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