VietNamNet Bridge – Trash collection in Ha Noi has become a nuisance and caused serious pollution, according to residents who have complained about the trash collection schedule and its proximity to their homes.

In Long Bien District's Sai Dong Ward, 27 households have been suffering from terrible odour for months due to the location of the trash collection site about 15 metres from their houses.

Le Van Kiem, a resident of Sai Dong Ward, said his household and others have asked many times for the garbage truck to be relocated, but the situation has not improved.

"The collection site is too close to us," he said. "The worst thing is that wastewater always leaks onto the road, and most of the trash trolleys have no lids, leaving an unbearable smell even after the truck has left."

Kiem said there is an abandoned area at the end of the road. He asked the local authorities to move the collection site there, but he has not received a reply.

Households along Thuy Khue Road in Ba Dinh District have had similar experiences. Trash trolleys are located in front of An Tho Village from 12pm to 5pm, and the trash is piled onto the trash truck at 8pm, which causes serious pollution, especially on hot days. Other trash collection sites in Le Duc Tho, Nguyen Khanh Toan and Ton That Tung streets have faced the same situation.

Truong Thi Lan, head of the Ha Noi Urban Environment One Member Co Ltd's Unit 6, said it is difficult to assure hygienic practices when implementing trash collection.

On some narrow roads such as Kham Thien and De La Thanh, the job could affect traffic, creating chaos and annoying drivers, she said.

The time of trash collection is also a problem. As regulated, trash collection is conducted from 4.30am to 5.30am; from 8am to 9.30am; from 1pm to 2.30pm; from 7pm to 8.30pm; and from 10.30pm to 11.30pm.

In fact, in many places, trash collection is implemented between 4pm to 5pm. In alley 444 of Thuy Khue Street, the trash trolley is always full by 5pm.

Thu Ha, a resident in the alley, complained that she had to take her garbage to the collection site and dump it there because she returns home from work at 7pm.

Thanh Trung, another resident in Tu Liem District, said sanitation workers collected trash twice per day at 9am and 5pm.

"This is totally inconvenient because we are not at home at that time. We have to work, and children go to school," he said.

The transport of garbage to dumping sites has also caused serious pollution. Thu Ha, a resident on Tu Liem District's Pham Van Dong Road, said hundreds of trash trucks from the inner city to Nam Son Dumping Site without covers pass by her house. Garbage sometimes falls onto the road.

Hoang Thi Mai Huong, a representative of the city's Construction Department, acknowledged the issues of poor timing for trash collection and hygiene standards in the city.

Huong said the city has supplied standard trash trucks to four inner districts. In other districts, the city has required other districts to upgrade their trash collection trucks.

VNS