People in Thanh Chuong are upset because they have to live with wastewater all year round.

Livestock wastewater floods village roads

Although it has been 4 years since reaching the new rural area goal and is considered a leading locality in the movement to make the environment green, clean, and beautiful, for more than a year now, people in Thanh Yen commune, Thanh Chuong district have been living in a situation where livestock wastewater has flooded the village roads.

Present at My Son hamlet, Thanh Yen commune on hot summer days, the reporter recorded that the main road into the hamlet was flooded, stretching for dozens of meters, covered in a pitch-black color, with a strong stench. Locals said that this was not rainwater but wastewater from buffalo, cow, and pig farms from other places. This is the main road of the hamlet but very few people use it because people have chosen to take other routes, even though they are farther away.

Mr. Nguyen Thu Dinh, a resident of My Son hamlet, said: People in the hamlet have had to live next to wastewater from buffalo and pig manure all year round, which is very miserable. Because the water cannot drain, and our area is low, it is flooded in both rainy and dry seasons. All year round, we have to close the door because of the stench, and the family is very afraid to let guests come to visit.

“Because the wastewater is black, passersby cannot see the potholes and subsidence points. Many people who pass by here fall in the wastewater and have to ask to go into people’s houses to take a bath. Children who go to school often fall and have to go home to change their clothes. The stench has to be washed away very thoroughly. It is so pitiful…”- Mr. Dinh sighed.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly, who lives next to the most flooded area, said: After more than a year of living next to this polluted area, many people have become ill, like me who currently has cancer. I should have a clean place to recuperate, but every day I have to live next to a pile of wastewater. Whenever the water level is high, I have to ask to stay at a relative's house because I can't stand the stench. The people's wish is to have a drainage ditch to reduce their suffering.

According to the reporter's investigation, the situation of stagnant livestock wastewater in My Son hamlet, Thanh Yen commune has appeared for more than a year now.

In previous years, wastewater flowed through the canal to Bau O - a large lake stretching across Thanh Yen and Thanh Luong communes. However, this canal passed through the land of Mr. Bui Van Thang, My Son hamlet. In 2021, Mr. Thang filled the canal with soil, causing it to become clogged.

Faced with that situation, Thanh Yen commune had to make a record of borrowing land from Mr. Bui Van Binh's house (next to Mr. Thang's land) to continue installing temporary drainage pipes.

The minutes of the meeting dated October 13, 2021 between Thanh Yen commune authorities and Mr. Bui Van Binh's family stated: Due to current conditions, the locality has not been able to build a drainage ditch for people in My Son hamlet, so the local authority and relevant departments and branches borrowed land from Mr. Bui Van Binh's family, My Son hamlet to temporarily install a drainage pipe. The land borrowing period is 6 months from the time of making the minutes. If after the above time, the locality has not been able to build a ditch, the family has the right to fill in the sewer and dismantle it to restore the original condition of the site.

According to the minutes, 6 months later, around May 2022, Thanh Yen commune must complete the drainage ditch for the people and return the land to Mr. Bui Van Binh's family. However, the commune failed to build the drainage ditch as planned, Mr. Binh filled the sewer, leading to wastewater stagnation for more than a year.

Sharing about this issue, Mr. Bui Van Binh said: We sympathize with the lives of the people and have created the best conditions. Because the wastewater has been flowing through my house for 6 months, I am very worried because my family has to live with the stench, my children and grandchildren are sick so we have to cover the sewer. The local government must have a plan to build a drainage ditch for the people, they cannot borrow my family's land to let the wastewater flow through forever...

Committed to making drainage ditches

Currently, people in My Son hamlet, Thanh Yen commune are very worried because the progress of installing drainage ditches is slow, causing dozens of households to have to live with stagnant and flooded livestock wastewater for the past year.

For example, during the rain on July 19, although not too heavy, the water level was nearly 1 meter high, flooding into people's houses. People are worried that this year's storm season, if there are no drainage ditches, households will be forced to evacuate because it is both dangerous and polluted.

Discussing this issue, Mr. Bui Huu Chuong - Chairman of Thanh Yen Commune People's Committee said: In the past, people in My Son hamlet have repeatedly requested the installation of drainage ditches. The local government sympathized with the people and sent officials to the site to survey, but due to the large budget, exceeding the capacity and land procedures, it has not been implemented yet, and had to request the district for support.

Currently, Thanh Chuong district has issued Decision No. 1445/QD-UBND on allocating funds from the district budget reserve in 2023 to carry out the construction of weak projects before the storm season this year, including allocating 200 million VND for the project of installing drainage ditches in My Son hamlet. Thanh Yen commune has now prepared a report and documents for the district to review and commit to building drainage ditches for the people as soon as possible, ensuring the lives and environment of the people.

Mr. Bui Huu Chuong - Chairman of Thanh Yen Commune People's Committee

What the people of My Son hamlet, Thanh Yen commune, most wish for now is that after the policy of investing in drainage ditches, the authorities and local government will speed up the construction progress, especially when the rainy and stormy season is approaching...