Paradox of the completed waste treatment project but not yet operational in Quy Hop
(Baonghean.vn) - After 13 years of investment and construction, the Quy Hop town waste treatment project and neighboring communes have finally been completed. However, this waste treatment site still cannot operate because there is no operating system, forcing the old landfill to continue operating despite being overloaded and causing environmental pollution.
Project extension
Waste treatment siteQuy Hop town and neighboring communes of Quy Hop district, invested by Quy Hop district People's Committee, approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 193/QD.-CNXD dated January 19, 2010 and approved the construction investment project in Decision No. 1446/QD.UBND-CNXD dated April 8, 2010 with a total area of over 6.6 hectares.
By October 2010, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district issued a decision approving the technical design and construction estimate of the project. From the initial 36.6 billion VND, the project's investment estimate was later adjusted to more than 48 billion VND. According to the design, this landfill will be built with 7 landfill cells; a leachate collection and treatment system; monitoring wells including 3 wells downstream and 1 well upstream of the waste treatment area; internal traffic roads and dykes surrounding the landfill cells; rainwater drainage around the landfill; electricity and water supply; gates, fences and trees.
After a long period of planning adjustment and construction commencement, the contractor completed the construction of the project on October 15, 2021. However, since then, this project has not been put into operation, while currently, the entire Quy Hop town area and some neighboring communes are having to use the landfill in Block 1, Quy Hop town.
It is worth mentioning that the landfill in Block 1, Quy Hop town was built before 2000, in the Thung Khuoc area, with an area of about 1ha. After many years of use, this landfill has become overloaded. Not to mention, this is an open-air landfill, processed by manual burning, so every time the garbage burns or it rains, people living near the landfill are extremely upset because of the pollution problem.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Trung - Head of Block 1, Quy Hop town said that the environmental pollution problem at the landfill area has long been a source of concern for the people. Although this landfill has a small area, less than 1 hectare, it is the place where garbage is collected not only from Quy Hop town but also from many other places. Therefore, it has long caused overload and environmental pollution. Especially in the rainy season, water seeping from the landfill flows everywhere, seeping into the ground, affecting the groundwater source. In the summer, flies and mosquitoes and sometimes it burns, causing a foul smell to spread everywhere. "Although this landfill is located in Block 1, both Block 1 and Block 2 have to bear the environmental pollution" - Mr. Trung emphasized.
Mr. Nguyen Van Suu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Hop town said: The overload and environmental pollution of the town's landfill has lasted for many years. The locality has also made many recommendations and proposals but has not been implemented yet. Although up to now, the new landfill has been completed, because it has not been put into operation, the amount of garbage from the whole town and some neighboring communes is being brought here for treatment. Mr. Suu also said that due to the pollution situation, every time he met with voters, people made recommendations and proposals but until now they still have to accept and endure. The locality has used many measures such as leveling and burying, but all are only temporary solutions.
Waiting for management bid
Although the investment decision was approved in 2010, up to now, after many years of delay due to land clearance and planning adjustments, the project has finally reached its destination. However, putting the waste treatment site of Quy Hop town and neighboring communes into operation is a long story.
First of all, we must mention the issue of treatment technology. At the time of project approval in 2010, the Quy Hop district waste treatment site was designed in the traditional landfill style. This can be understood as the reason that at that time, modern waste treatment technology had not appeared much, and if it did, the cost was very high, so burial technology was chosen. However, it is worth mentioning that by 2019, when the project had not yet started construction, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 3464/QD.UBND on approving the adjustment and supplementation of the design of the Construction Drawings and construction estimates of the Quy Hop town waste treatment site and neighboring communes of Quy Hop district. The design solutions after adjustment were only the construction of waste burial cells; leachate collection and treatment system; monitoring wells; internal traffic roads and dike systems surrounding the landfill cells; rainwater drainage system around the landfill; with the same electricity and water supply system, protective fence, operator house... This makes many people wonder why the adjustment did not choose modern waste incineration technology like some waste treatment plants in Nghia Dan, Hoang Mai town?
In addition, another problem that arises is how the project will be operated after construction is completed, when there must be managers and workers working there. Meanwhile, if using staff from specialized departments in the District People's Committee is impossible, if establishing a management board and recruiting human resources is even more impossible in the context of streamlining the payroll.
It is known that on September 22, 2022, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district issued an investment call letter to organizations and individuals who want to invest in waste transportation, collection and treatment services. Although the call was made, and the departments, branches and sectors also gave their opinions on the handling direction to put the landfill into operation. However, up to now, the bidding to select the unit to manage and operate the landfill has not been carried out.
Currently, the procedures for consulting with departments and branches have been completed. The district is selecting contractors to conduct public bidding. After the bidding is completed and a management unit is selected, the landfill will be put into operation.
However, when we asked when the bidding would be carried out, Mr. Loi could not answer.
Obviously, the construction of the waste treatment site in Quy Hop town and neighboring communes of Quy Hop district encountered many difficulties from the beginning. However, it has been completed at this point, and nearly 50 billion VND of investment capital has been spent. The problem is to put the project into operation soon, otherwise the environmental pollution problem in areas 1 and 2 of Quy Hop town, where the old landfill is struggling to receive waste, will not be completely resolved. At the same time, it will cause a waste of investment capital that the State has spent on this project.
