Heavy rains exacerbate trash problem in Brazil's Manaus
After heavy rains and record river flooding, creeks and rivers in the Amazon capital Manaus have been covered by a carpet of trash, affecting entire communities. The lack of infrastructure and awareness has worsened the problem even as urban cleaning efforts average 30 tons of garbage collected from river waters everyday. With the Negro River in Manaus having another year of intense flooding, discarded residues accumulated in the riverbanks are dragged by heavy rain and pileup around riverside houses, creeks and canals. Recent aerial images captured the vast amount of rubbish polluting the water that sits stagnant near homes, and residents like 48-year-old Luisa Teles say there's secondary issues. The piles of trash attract animals and it also becomes dangerous when children go swimming or fall in the waters. In the meantime, cleaning teams are running through 60 kilometers of river stretches, finding enormous accumulation of trash, sometimes trapped in inaccessible areas behind riverside houses. In June, the Negro River level reached 29,75 meters, the fourth biggest flood since recording started in 1902. The level was already above 29 meters, which indicates severe flooding, since May, keeping the capital under emergency alert for flooding.
