The Vinh city regulating lake is overflowing with trash on weekends.

Hung Hoa regulating lakeThis is the largest reservoir in Vinh City, with a surface area of ​​40 hectares, located at the end of the North Canal, in the low-lying area bordering Hung Loc Commune, Hung Hoa Commune, and Hung Dung Ward. Officially put into use in 2017, this regulating reservoir is considered the "green lung" of Vinh City. However, in recent times, the reservoir has been consistently polluted, especially on weekends when people gather to eat and litter indiscriminately.

According to observations by reporters on the morning of August 14th, Hung Hoa regulating lake has a large amount of waste scattered indiscriminately along the roadsides, on the grass, under trees, or even in the lake itself. The waste here mainly consists of packaging, styrofoam boxes, plastic bottles, etc.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Hung, residing in Hung Dung ward, Vinh city, expressed his frustration: "Every day when I go for exercise here, I have to wear a mask because of the foul smell of leftover food and drinks dumped haphazardly, especially on weekends when the amount of garbage increases 4-5 times compared to weekdays."

Notably, despite the indiscriminate littering by residents, there is no enforcement or reminder from authorities, preventing the problem from being resolved. Furthermore, no trash cans are placed around the retention pond, making the widespread littering unavoidable. In particular, the city currently does not permit stalls to operate within the retention pond area; however, some households have set up tables, chairs, and stalls to sell food and drinks illegally every evening, which is also a contributing factor to the increasing amount of waste.

It is known that the Hung Hoa regulating lake is managed directly by Vinh City's Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company, while Hung Loc and Hung Hoa communes, Hung Dung ward, and Vinh City Green Park Joint Stock Company are also responsible for maintaining the landscape and handling environmental pollution issues. However, coordination between these units has not been effective, resulting in persistent pollution.

These are images captured by reporters at Hung Hoa regulating lake on the morning of August 14th:

Right at the beginning of the retention pond, along the extended Phung Chi Kien road, there is a large garbage collection point on the roadside. Photo: Quang An

The trash here mainly consists of packaging, food scraps, plastic bottles, etc., after weekend parties and gatherings. Photo: Quang An

Waste in the retention pond is not being collected but is being burned haphazardly. Photo: Quang An

After finishing their business, some households even dump sugarcane pulp and coconut shells directly into the fields right next to the retention pond. Photo: Quang An

The pathways around the retention pond are littered with trash. Photo: Quang An

Another pile of trash on the walkway along the retention pond. Photo: Quang An

Despite not being allowed to, people set up carts and signs to conduct business around the retention pond. Photo: Quang An

Despite the posted regulations, the pollution in the retention pond remains unaddressed. Photo: Quang An