Rubbish collectors wade through sea of plastic after monsoon creates 'trash trap' in Manila

Rubbish collectors wade through sea of plastic after monsoon creates 'trash trap' in Manila Rubbish collectors in Metro Manila, the Philippines, have been pictured combing through a sea of rubbish after it was thrown into a 'trash trap' following heavy rain Workers have been deployed into a sea of rubbish and tasked with freeing one of the world's most populous cities from a tidal wave of refuse. Rubbish collectors are wading through nearly shoulder-deep waters in Paranaque City, in Manila, the Philippines, following nine days of torrential rainfall that has caused the deaths of at least 16 people. Monsoon season has left the major city, which is the seventh most populous in the world and home to 27.1 million people, awash with mishandled refuse, which has accumulated in waterways. Brave city workers have plunged ankle first into the depths of those waterways in a bid to free those rubbish-choked rivers and streams as the Philippine government mulls tougher penalties for would-be litterbugs. The more than week-long downpour across the city had a significant impact, causing landslides and flooding across the north of the flood-prone metropolis. It has also seen personnel rush to waterways across the city, backed by cranes, boats and huge containers in which to stash the rubbish. City workers who have taken up the unenviable job of clearing through the mess have been pictured wading in a sea of debris, with a vast number of plastic bottles, and even a lone croc shoe seen amongst the collection of rubbish. The worst hit area is believed to be the Redemptorist Water Channel in Barangay Baclaran, where refuse collectors were submerged up to their necks and visibly caked in dirt. Pictures show that while a huge amount of water has poured across the city, it is barely visible under the sheer extent of the waste. As the cleanup operation gets underway, the surge of rubbish has prompted conversations about rubbish disposal in the city, with the country's national leadership at Malacañáng Palace backing proposals for harsher littering penalties. Local Government Units (LGUs) have been blamed for the surge after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr learned about the situation, according to local media, with Palace officials saying the situation was "truly shocking". Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Tuesday: "This is not what the government wants to happen. We want proper waterways where water can flow freely." Rubbish has been a sticky issue in the Manila, which has been dealing with excessive littering for years. A 2021 study estimated that the city's major Pasig River contributed up to six percent of plastics from rivers leaking into the ocean. The staggering total was more than rivers like India's notoriously messy Ganges, which despite its global reputation is shorter than the Pasig. Thousands of families live in makeshift houses along the major waterway, once a vital food source and transportation route for the city's workers. The Parañaque City Government said in a post on social media that the latest dramatic images were the product of a "trash trap" which had caused rubbish to pile up. Officials said: "The CENRO Task Force continues its waterways clean-up operations to remove accumulated garbage and debris from the Redemptorist Water Channel in Barangay Baclaran. This is after garbage from the Manila Bay entered the water channel." They added the concentration of rubbish was being removed from what it called a "trash trap" formed following heavy rainfall.