Residents of the area around the dumping ground in Vinh Long Commune, Vĩnh Linh District, the central province of Quang Tri have blocked garbage trucks attempting to carry waste to the dump.

Residents are blocking garbage trucks on their way to drop off waste over concerns about pollution. — Photo thanhnien.vn

Since Sunday, people living near the dump have been preventing garbage trucks from entering the area to protect their living environment, according to Đỗ Xuân Hào, head of Cây Sy Village where the dumping ground is located.

He said local people have suffered because of pollution from the two-hectare landfill since 2012.

A resident said: “In the Tết holidays, the landfill was burnt twice, and the smoke and odour covered a large area, causing serious pollution here.”

The landfill was established as a temporary solution in 2012, but was placed too close to residential areas and is still in operation. It has had an impact on the lives of people in Vĩnh Long and Vĩnh Chấp communes.

Nguyễn Công Hải, director of Vĩnh Linh District’s Urban Construction Environment Centre, which is responsible for managing the landfill, said the 45-50 tonnes-per-day-capacity landfill collected the daily waste of 10 communes and towns in the district. But during and after the Tết holidays, the amount of garbage increased to 120 tonnes per day.

Thái Văn Thành, chairman of Vĩnh Linh District People’s Committee, said work will be started on March to build a three-hectare landfill in Tân Định Village (Vĩnh Chấp Commune) to replace on the temporary one in Cây Sy.

The VNĐ15 billion (US$646,000) landfill is expected to be finished in six months.

Funding will come from the district’s development and investment fund and the State budget. — VNS