Over 1,000 tonnes of rubbish removed from capital’s canal
AROUND 1,500 tonnes of rubbish, mostly plastic, was removed from the capital’s Boeung Trabek canal last month – an amount officials said was huge but less than before.
Duong Chansarath, head of the drainage and sewage unit at the Phnom Penh municipal Department of Public Works and Transport, said his team had disposed of waste that was blocking the sewage canal from March 10-31 in a bid to reduce flooding in the coming rainy season.
Chansarath said authorities removed 380 truckloads of waste from the canal, which is 900m long and 30m wide. The waste drained into the canal from all directions in the city.
“Compared to the amount removed previously, that represented a decrease. We usually take more than 2,000 tonnes of rubbish at a time. Every year, we remove waste at least four times,” he said.
Chansarath called on residents to dispose of their rubbish properly and not throw it onto the street as it can cause flooding and affect homes.
San Chey, executive director of the NGO Affiliated Network for Social Accountability,
said previous measures taken by relevant authorities have significantly changed the attitude of some people in waste disposal, especially residents living next to canals in Phnom Penh.
But he also noted that people
in some places still litter as awareness about the issue is still limited.
“I do not see any improvement in attitude [with some people] in waste disposal. During this period when there is an infectious disease
like Covid-19, a clean environment also contributes to good health,” he said.
Chey called on the municipal authority to clean up waste from other congested canals, such as those on Street 371 in Meanchey district.