Nghe An: Many localities lack funds for garbage collection

According to the report of Vinh City People's Committee: The total volume of waste collected in the area is more than 75,000 tons/year (of which 14% is treated by incineration technology, the rest is treated by burial technology at Nghi Yen Solid Waste Treatment Complex).

Garbage is collected right in front of Vinh Citadel gate, causing loss of urban beauty. Photo: Quang An

However, the fees collected from waste collection and transportation services in Vinh only meet 50% of the total demand, the city budget must allocate more than 30 billion VND each year to ensure the collection, transportation and treatment of waste. The total cost for waste collection and treatment in Vinh city in 2017 was 60.729 billion VND, while the fees were only 23.7 billion VND.

Mr. Ha Thanh Tinh, Vice Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee, said: The need for spending on solid waste collection and transportation in Vinh City is large. The City People's Committee has repeatedly proposed to the province about the fee level but it has not been resolved.

Vinh City sanitation workers handle large amounts of waste every day. Photo: Quang An

In Cua Lo town, the total volume of waste in the area is more than 18,000 tons/year, treated by landfill at Nghi Yen Waste Treatment Plant. The price of waste collection and transportation services applied according to the maximum framework prescribed by the province only meets 22.1% of the total demand (the remaining funding is currently being allocated from the annual environmental career funding source provided by the provincial budget).

Due to the characteristics of a tourist town, the amount of waste in the summer is very large and the transportation distance to Nghi Yen landfill is far, so the town People's Committee has proposed to increase the price by 3,000 VND/person/month (equivalent to a 60% increase compared to the old price).

In Hung Nguyen district, the waste in the area is about 22,000 tons/year, mainly treated by incineration technology at Nghi Yen Waste Treatment Plant. However, due to limited funding, waste is still left haphazardly and is collected slowly, most clearly along the Lam River dike and at the markets.

Garbage piled up on National Highway 46, passing through Hung Nguyen and Nam Dan districts. Photo: Quang An

In Nghia Dan District, there are an average of 40,000 tons of waste per year. Since June 2017, waste has been treated at the treatment plant of T-Tech Group. The District People's Committee estimates the need for waste treatment funding at about 16 billion VND and proposes to raise the price by 40% compared to the current price to ensure funding.

The reality of the localities shows that waste is very urgent and leads to many inconveniences in life. Due to lack of funding, waste is collected slowly and creates a burden on the budget.