Tens of thousands of people live along Xuyên Tâm canal, which has become polluted with litter and waste discharged by many households living nearby. —VNA/VNS Photo Phương Vy

HCM CITY— The HCM City People's Committee has approved the cleanup of five canals full of litter and waste discharged by households living nearby.  

The People's Committee has told five districts where the canals are located to strictly handle illegal encroachment and littering and to step up inspections of the canals.

Lê Thị Thanh, 63, a resident living near the Xuyên Tâm canal, which traverses Bình Thạnh and Gò Vấp districts, told Người Lao Động (Labour) newspaper that the canal had a foul smell and had been polluted for years.

Authorities should develop specific plans to clean up and upgrade the canals, she said.

The Xuyên Tâm canal connects the Nhiêu Lộc – Thị Nghè canal and Vàm Thuật River and has a total length of 6.21 kilometres.

There are tens of thousands of people living along the canal.

A representative of the People's Committee of Bình Thạnh District said it would increase public awareness about the need to stop littering into the canal.

According to the city’s Department of Construction, illegal encroachments exist on 35 canals in the city, although the number has fallen significantly compared to 2017.

Encroachment affects water flow, and causes flooding and landslides. It also makes it more difficult to build water supply and drainage systems, and fire protection systems.

Cleanup will occur on the Hy Vọng canal in Tân Bình District, Xuyên Tâm canal in Bình Thạnh-Gò Vấp District, Bình Thái canal in Thủ Đức District, Nhảy-Ruột Ngựa canal in District 8, and Bàu Trâu canal in District 6 and Tân Phú District. —VNS