VietNamNet Bridge – Residents living near the Nam Son dump, the largest in Ha Noi, have stopped blocking trucks from carrying garbage to the dump in protest against the heavy pollution after local authorities agreed to immediately address the problem.

Trucks carrying garbage to the Nam Son dump were blocked until Wednesday following a protest by residents against the pollution. – VNA/VNS Photo

Pollution in the area is a persistent issue and has threatened the health of locals near Ha Noi’s Soc Son District.

Residents in Nam Son Commune’s Dong Ha Village have reported that in recent days, people here were struggling to deal with the swarms of flies, turning their lives upside down.

Every day, locals were forced to buy several sticky sheets that were covered with a substance to trap the flies and kill them, but were still unable to get rid of the menace, residents said.

Nguyen Thi Ly, a resident, said they had been living in this polluted environment for many years.

“Since the landfill was set up here, flies have existed, but not as many flies as in recent days,” she said.

“Flies are everywhere, in the house, on the body, on trees. Residents have to keep their doors closed all day, even are forced to eat under a mosquito net,” she added.

Nguyen Van Chinh, head of Dong Ha Village, said flies had been present for many years due to the landfill, but recently the problem had gotten worse.

Furious with the increasing number of flies due to pollution from the Nam Son landfill, dozens of Dong Ha villagers on Tuesday set up temporary tents to block roads to prevent trucks carrying garbage to the dump.

In the afternoon on the same day, the locals continued to carry trapped flies on the roads leading to the landfill.

In response to the situation, the chairman of the People’s Committee of Soc Son District, together with the leader of Hong Ky Commune, held a dialogue with residents of the affected areas to resolve the problem and addressed questions by locals.

Do Minh Tuan, deputy chairman of Soc Son District People’s Committee, said the increasing number of flies in residential areas in the past two days was due to the weather. Prolonged rains led to a foul smelling odour, which in turn led to an increase in flies, affecting the environment and people’s lives.

At the meeting, the two sides reached an agreement to handle the situation. The Ha Noi People’s Committee also approved a project to relocate three seriously affected communes -- Bac Son, Hong Ky and Nam Son.

The committee also requested relevant departments to work together to raise health insurance support from 80 per cent to 100 per cent for affected residents.

Periodic health examination for locals would be conducted regularly, authorities said.

The Nam Son garbage dump, covering 83.5ha, was set up in 1999. Every day, it receives more than 4,000 tonnes of waste.

The three communes closest to the dump -- Bac Son, Nam Son and Hong Ky -- are suffering from severe air and water pollution. 

VNS