At least 100 tons of rubbish was extracted from the Boeung Trabek canal after Chamkarmon district authorities initiated a rubbish removal campaign last week to decrease flooding risks before the arrival of the rainy season.

Chamkarmon district governor Theng Sothol said on Wednesday that rubbish removal from Boeung Trabek canal began on March 7 and was due to be completed on March 15.

“Each day, our team can remove around 18 truckloads of rubbish from the canal, with each being around five tonnes.

“The team is planning to have a meeting to discuss tackling the rubbish issue and how to promote its proper disposal so it does not always end up in our waterways,” he said.

Sothol said Boeung Trabek is the deepest canal in the Kingdom, and when it becomes clogged with rubbish, it chokes up and causes considerable flooding.

“All citizens should change their littering habits because if rubbish disposal is not done correctly, it will destroy the beauty of the city and cause serious flooding risks.

“Removing rubbish from Boeung Trabek canal must be completed before the rainy season to prevent blockages. When the rainy season arrives, there will be a lot of water flowing garbage into the canal, which will eventually cause blockages,” he said.

Sothol also urged the people to dispose of their rubbish in bins.

San Dara Vit, the founder of Rubbish Youths who help to remove garbage at Boeung Trabek canal, expressed his appreciation to the authorities for their efforts and concerns regarding the issue.

He agreed that people needed to be informed of the consequences of littering and discarding their rubbish onto the streets.

Dara Vit said the Rubbish Youths had previously asked the authorities for permission to clean the canal but were told that some areas of it were too dangerous due to its depth, therefore the youths were only allowed to collect rubbish from shallow areas.

“I support the authority’s actions as it will be for everyone’s benefit. This work cannot be done alone, we need to tackle the issue together. Practising hygiene, disposing rubbish properly and managing it effectively must be a community joint effort,” he said.

The Phnom Penh Municipal Hall said on March 10 that it had created a Dumpsite Management Committee to manage garbage collection in the city in place of Cintri, whose contract with the government had ended.

It instructed all ministries, institutions, officials, and the private sectors to stop paying Cintri for rubbish collection services and instead pay the fees to the Municipal Rubbish Management Authority.

“State institutions can pay at the Municipal Rubbish Management Authority on Monivong Boulevard in Daun Penh district’s Srah Chak commune or at the Phnom Penh Municipal Treasury.

“Private institutions can make payment at the Municipal Rubbish Management Authority or through Aceleda bank branches.

“The payment procedures have been in place for two months already. While most are familiar with this new procedure, a small number of business owners and small institutions may still be confused.

“Therefore, we are releasing this announcement a second time to explain it once again,” said Keo Channarith, the deputy director the Rubbish Management Authority.”

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