A new rubbish collection system being tested in HCM City’s rivers and canals. — VNA/VNS Photo Tiến Lực

HCM CITY — HCM City is piloting a new rubbish collection system in its rivers and canals that it says is more efficient.

Its Department of Transport and Sài Gòn Traffic Construction Joint Stock Company has trialed the system to collect solid waste on a section of the Vàm Thuật-Bến Cát River in Gò vấp District.

Lâm Tấn Kiệt of the latter said it costs VNĐ20 billion (nearly US$863,000) and used five pieces of equipment: a barge, a crane to gather the rubbish, two small litter-collecting machines, and a boat to dump the rubbish.

The litter-collecting machines were imported from the US at a cost of VNĐ3.5 billion ($151,000) each while the rest was developed by Vietnamese engineers.

The system can collect around 40 tonnes of rubbish in seven hours.

Hà Thanh Sơn, head of the department’s Inland Waterway Management Division, said rubbish is regularly collected from the city’s rivers and canals such as Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè, Đôi, Tẻ, Tàu Hủ, Lò Gốm canals, but the results do not meet expectations.

The new system can take out large volumes of rubbish and many kinds, including solid waste, water hyacinth and wild grasses.

“Manual labour needs to be replaced with technology to improve collection efficiency,” Sơn said.

The system will first be used to clear up waterways used for transportation.

It is expected to be used widely in the city from next year after the pilot is completed. — VNS