Pig carcasses threaten Saigon River reservoir water quality

Staff at the reservoir’s K37 station said that the carcasses seen during the visit had accumulated over just two days, December 30 and 31. However, they emphasized that this has been a persistent problem since early 2025. Workers have had to regularly collect and dispose of the carcasses to prevent environmental pollution and protect water quality.

Images recorded by local media showed diseased pigs carried downstream in large numbers, sometimes reaching dozens in a single day. Each incident required urgent clean-up and disposal to prevent further contamination.

Nguyen Huu Manh, Deputy Director at the Dau Tieng-Phuoc Hoa branch of Southern Irrigation Management One Member LLC, said additional equipment, including a truck and an excavator, had been deployed to reinforce operations at K37 station. Extra funds were allocated to handle the clean-up and destruction of carcasses trapped in the hydropower plant’s trash screen throughout the year.

“We strictly manage water quality in accordance with standards, but dealing with carcasses in the canal is only a temporary solution,” Mr Manh said. He warned that if carcasses are not collected and destroyed promptly, the risk of water pollution is very high.

“We have repeatedly worked with local authorities to prevent people from dumping waste and animal carcasses into the canal, but the problem persists,” he added.

Longstanding issue across the canal

Tran Phu Cuong, Head of the Livestock Production and Animal Health Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the accumulation of waste and animal carcasses in the canal has persisted for many years.

The canal stretches across multiple wards and communes, and waste tends to accumulate when it reaches the trash rack at Minh Tan hydropower plant.

Mr Cuong explained that his division has repeatedly proposed solutions, including coordination with local authorities and agencies to strengthen monitoring and prevent illegal dumping.

His unit has also worked directly with farms along the canal, urging livestock owners to sign commitments not to discard waste or animal carcasses into the environment.

“The canal is long, and no single force can monitor it completely,” Mr Cuong said. “This issue ultimately comes down to public awareness and requires stronger involvement from local authorities, police and other agencies.

“There must be stricter supervision and penalties. If this continues, domestic water supplies will be affected, and livestock diseases could spread to other areas.”

Disease risks from dumping carcasses

A veterinary expert warned that dumping animal carcasses into waterways is a dangerous practice that must be eliminated. In cases such as African swine fever, infected carcasses carried by water can spread disease to farms downstream, causing severe economic losses.

Current regulations require strict procedures for the disposal and disinfection of livestock and poultry that die from disease. Dumping carcasses into the environment is a violation of the law, the expert said. Offenders face administrative fines or even criminal charges depending on the severity of the violation.