A team of workers from Ho Chi Minh City Urban Drainage Company removed more than six metric tons of garbage that had piled up in Canal 19/5 in Tan Phu District in more than five hours on Saturday. 

The cleanup, assisted with a crane and a trash truck, was carried out over a stretch of the canal, located in Son Ky Ward under the district, which had been plagued by an overwhelming buildup of waste.

Two sanitation workers, dressed in protective gear, waded into the murky, polluted water to collect garbage, which was then placed into baskets. 

A crane operator was stationed above to lift the baskets and transfer the collected waste onto the trash truck for disposal.

One of the workers said that the use of a crane to scoop the waste was not feasible for the section of the canal. As a result, the workers had to wade into the water to gather the trash.

The majority of the waste consisted of household garbage, apart from dead rats and chicken feathers.

Despite the scorching heat, the workers continued their task without a break, managing to finish the cleanup just after 1:00 pm. 

The total amount of waste removed from the canal was estimated at more than six metric tons.

“I only hope that people’s awareness improves and they stop throwing trash carelessly, so the workers won't have to work so hard to clean up the mess,” a local woman shared. 

As observed by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter on Thursday, several canals in Ho Chi Minh City were facing severe pollution, with garbage accumulating in large amounts, creating unpleasant odors and concerns over public health.

Among the affected waterways were Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal snaking through District 1, District 3, Binh Thanh District, Phu Nhuan District, and Binh Tan District; Canal 19/5 flowing through Binh Tan District and Tan Phu District; and Hy Vong Canal in Tan Binh District.

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