Nghe An countryside from the model of 'clean villages, beautiful cities'

UNIQUE "BICYCLE FLOWER ROAD"

Members of the Women's Union of Nam Xuan commune take care of the "bicycle flower road". Photo: Thanh Phuc

Responding to the movement to build a commune with advanced NTM standards, the Women's Union of Nam Xuan commune (Nam Dan) has registered to build a flower bicycle road on the road leading to the commune headquarters. According to Ms. Ho Thi Xuan - President of the Women's Union of Nam Xuan commune, the reason for choosing to make a flower road from scrap bicycles is to create uniqueness, novelty and durability, while also having the meaning of propaganda and education for people about environmental protection.

After nearly a month of launching, 22 old, damaged bicycles that were no longer of any use were donated by members. The rusty, peeling bicycles were polished and painted white by the women; beer cans, waste paper, milk cartons, and cardboard were skillfully trimmed by the members into vibrant, colorful flower baskets.

The fences in the Nam Xuan countryside are covered with the green color of flowers and ornamental plants. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The asphalt road leading to the commune headquarters is a central and spacious point, ensuring traffic safety, chosen for installation. The vehicles "carrying" flower baskets are bolted in front of the commune People's Committee headquarters, creating a beautiful and unique landscape highlight that attracts passersby. "Every month, we assign members to wash the vehicles clean and promptly replace damaged or faded flower baskets to ensure aesthetics," Ms. Xuan added.

Implementing environmental criteria in building new rural areas, the Women's Union of Nam Xuan commune launched the movement "Clean houses, beautiful gardens, blooming village roads" and received 100% active response from members. In each home garden, there are clear plots of vegetable plots, flower plots, and the fences of each house are covered with green climbing plants. On the roads of residential areas, people plant flowers to create beautiful landscapes...

PUBLIC TRASH BINS MADE FROM TIRES

Public trash bins made from old tires in Quynh Nghia (Quynh Luu). Photo: Thanh Phuc

From used tires, the Women's Union and Youth Union of Quynh Nghia commune (Quynh Luu) collected, cleaned, repainted, and turned them into trash cans through many manual steps. In just a short period of time, 6 trash cans and 24 environmental propaganda signs attached to the trash cans were placed along Quynh Nghia beach.

Ms. Ho Thi Thuy Linh - President of the Women's Union of Quynh Nghia commune said: With raw materials such as readily available rubber tires, the manual manufacturing method is not expensive, does not take much effort and time, and the price is much cheaper than the metal or plastic barrels currently popular on the market.

Moreover, the tire trash can can withstand impacts, not damaged by environmental impacts as well as harmful waste. The structure is compact, pretty and easy to move, the trash can can be placed anywhere, any suitable place, extremely convenient and highly aesthetic. From there, raising awareness of environmental protection for people as well as tourists every time they come to Quynh Nghia.

In 2021, the tire trash bin model was replicated in 11 branches across the commune.

TURNING WASTE INTO ORGANIC FERTILIZER IN NGHI LIEN

Previously, when people in Trung Lien flower and ornamental plant craft village (Nghi Lien, Vinh City) brought plants home, pruned branches or harvested flowers, the discarded parts of the plants such as leaves, branches, and roots were often piled up to decompose in the garden or waited to dry and then burned, causing environmental pollution and a strong stench. In addition, the daily household waste of 300 households is quite large, if not handled promptly, will be overloaded and cause secondary pollution.

Faced with that situation, under the direction of the commune government and the support of the City Women's Union, Trung Lien hamlet has directed the implementation of the model of "Classifying and treating waste at source" in households.

Waste classification, treatment, and conversion into organic fertilizer for flowers and ornamental plants is a model being replicated in Nghi Lien in implementing the environmental criteria for building advanced new rural areas. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Accordingly, each household is provided with two trash bins and probiotics and trained in how to process organic waste. Household waste is sorted daily, organic waste is put into a self-built trash pit at the end of the garden, then sprinkled with probiotics to compost into fertilizer; inorganic waste is collected at the garbage collection site for the environmental company to take away, and scrap such as beer cans, paper boxes, plastic bags, etc. is stored and sold to raise funds.

Ms. Nguyen Thi The, a resident of Trung Lien hamlet, said: “At first, it was a bit troublesome to classify. After a while, I found this method effective in protecting the environment as well as saving production costs. Organic waste from fruit peels, vegetables, leftover food, and post-harvest leaves... is mixed and composted to become a very good source of fertilizer for flowers, ornamental plants, and to prevent harmful pests.”

In order to contribute to the implementation of environmental criteria in the construction of advanced new rural areas, the model of waste classification at source in Trung Lien has now been replicated throughout the commune and has received positive response from the people.

A new rural road in Mon Son commune (Con Cuong). Photo: PV

Currently, the whole province has 307/411 communes meeting criterion No. 17 on environment and food safety in the New Rural Criteria. This is one of the most difficult criteria to implement because there are up to 8 component criteria and especially depends greatly on people's awareness.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hang - Deputy Chief of the Office of Coordination for the Construction of New Rural Areas in Nghe An said: "In recent times, the province has had many good models contributing to the implementation of environmental criteria, including the model of "Clean Village, Good Fields" by farmers; waste classification at source by the Women's Union; Green Sunday by the Youth Union... With the attention of the entire political system and the raised awareness of the people, Nghe An will have more villages and residential areas that are bright, green, clean and beautiful."

New rural road in Nghia Loi (Nghia Dan). Photo: PV