A mountain of waste in the heart of limestone valleys

Located amid limestone valleys in Trung Son ward, Quen Kho is the main site for waste collection and burial across Ninh Binh province. Operational for over a decade, the landfill is now in a state of crisis.

At Pit B, household waste is stacked meters high. Just across a narrow concrete road is Pit A - used since 1999 - where waste is similarly heaped on tarpaulin-lined ground. Beneath the waste, a deep, dark, oily pool has formed. This contaminated water spills onto nearby roads, flooding the area and spreading pollution.

Leachate from the landfill has seeped into an adjacent farm, forming stagnant puddles and killing surrounding vegetation.

Ha Dinh Khanh, a resident of Hamlet 1, Trung Son, lives about one kilometer from the landfill.

“My family has lived here since 1986. For years, we’ve endured the stench, flies, and toxic runoff from the trucks carrying waste. The water pollution severely affects our farming and livestock,” he said.

“We have no choice but to live with this. I urge the local and provincial authorities to either resolve this permanently or relocate residents to protect our health,” Khanh added.

Official response and funding request

Facing the worsening situation, Ninh Binh Vice Chairman Nguyen Anh Chuc has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, requesting financial support for environmental restoration.

The funding would help the province clean up and rehabilitate the Quen Kho site and address long-standing waste issues.

The provincial government has also directed the Ninh Binh Solid Waste Treatment Plant to increase the use of biological agents to neutralize odors and speed up waste decomposition. At the same time, the plant must fully collect and treat all wastewater on-site.

Authorities are also expediting investment in two new waste treatment facilities - one using incineration and the other using waste-to-energy technology - with a combined processing capacity of 1,000 tons per day.

The cleanup of Quen Kho was first approved in 2018, with a central government budget allocation of VND 45 billion (approximately USD 1.8 million). However, progress has stalled and pollution remains.

More recently, on June 29, 2025, the province approved the construction of a new solid waste treatment plant in Dong Son commune (now Trung Son ward). With an investment of VND 650 billion (about USD 26 million), the facility will span 4 hectares and process up to 500 tons of waste daily.

Despite years of planning and investment pledges, Quen Kho continues to degrade the environment and affect nearby communities. Without swift and decisive action, this environmental crisis will only deepen.