Vinh City: The problem of illegal dumping of construction waste.

(Baonghean) - The rapid urbanization of Vinh City in recent years has led to an increasing volume of construction waste. However, instead of collecting it at the city's construction waste disposal site, drivers and many residents choose to illegally dump construction waste on roads, sidewalks, and vacant land in residential areas.

Looking exhausted after a sleepless night working with neighborhood security forces to catch truck drivers illegally dumping construction waste, Mr. Nguyen Tat Thao - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Trung Do Ward, and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, urban planning officer of the ward, said that this has been a regular activity in the ward for over a year. Located adjacent to Hung Loi commune (Hung Nguyen district), surrounded by low dikes and canals, along with many ponds, lakes, and vacant land, Trung Do has long been a place where truck drivers illegally dump construction waste and solid waste. Currently, the ward has four major construction projects: a project by Hanoi Housing Company, Dai Thanh Construction Company, the Vinh River dike construction site, and the resettlement project for the extended Le Mao road.

Due to economic difficulties, some construction projects are progressing slowly. Taking advantage of this, individuals are frequently transporting and illegally dumping solid waste and construction debris. The ward has established a hotline and coordinated with all relevant departments to instruct residents to report any violations immediately. Upon receiving reports, the ward's urban regulations enforcement and environmental officers must promptly arrive to take preventative measures, order the removal of the waste, and issue fines. Every night, the ward forms task forces to patrol and set up checkpoints to promptly detect and handle violators. In the last months of 2013, the ward People's Committee, in coordination with the ward police, issued administrative fines totaling 10 million VND for 6 cases of illegal construction waste dumping. From the beginning of 2014 to the present, the ward has repeatedly caught and prevented many truck drivers from attempting to illegally dump construction waste. For these cases, the task forces only prevent the dumping, issue warnings, and strictly prohibit the illegal dumping of construction waste in residential areas.

Construction waste is being dumped by residents on Ho Tong Thoc Street, Vinh City.

In Ha Huy Tap ward, the dumping of construction waste is prevalent in several vacant areas in Phong Toan block, Pham Dinh Toai street, and some temporary waste collection sites. Ms. Dang Thi Hoa, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Ha Huy Tap ward, said that in response to some drivers illegally dumping construction waste at night, the ward's urban regulations team, in coordination with neighborhood blocks, regularly inspects and takes administrative action against violators.

Besides the illegal dumping of construction waste in vacant lots within residential areas, Vinh City has long experienced a problem where households undertaking house renovations mix construction waste with regular garbage trucks, causing significant difficulties in collection. Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Head of the Inspection Department of the Nghe An Urban Environment Company, stated that the illegal dumping of construction waste has become a serious issue. Homeowners renovating or building houses have taken advantage of the designated household waste disposal areas to illegally dump construction waste.

During the urbanization process, the generation of waste, especially construction waste, is unavoidable. Since 2009, Vinh City has developed a plan for temporary construction waste collection. According to the plan, the city has selected five locations for construction waste collection sites: two in Hung Dong commune (with a total area of ​​30,000 m²), one in Nghi Lien commune (over 35,000 m²), and one in Vinh Tan ward (over 16,000 m²). These locations are low-lying, far from residential areas, convenient for truck access, and meet other requirements. Initially, these sites were directly managed by the People's Committees of the respective wards and communes. In 2013, the City People's Committee transferred their operation and management to the Nghe An Urban Environment Company. Currently, the company is using two landfills in Vinh Tan ward and Hung Dong commune as collection points for construction waste from local residents. Residents do not have to pay any fees when disposing of construction solid waste in these areas. However, drivers and residents still do not dispose of construction waste in designated areas, often dumping it illegally in residential zones.

According to regulations from the Vinh City People's Committee, organizations, families, and individuals with construction waste must sort it for recycling and reuse before it is collected and transported to designated collection points at the specified times, thus preventing environmental pollution. However, this has been neglected for a long time. "For a long time, by habit, when there is construction waste, homeowners only contract with drivers for transportation, and where the drivers dispose of the waste is not the homeowner's responsibility. Because they are afraid of the cost of fuel, many drivers choose to dump illegally. Some households even choose not to hire trucks and instead dump construction waste at night, mixing it with household waste, causing pollution and ruining the urban landscape," said Mr. Nguyen Tat Thao, Vice Chairman of the Trung Do Ward People's Committee.

Discussing solutions to prevent the rampant dumping of construction waste, which affects people's lives and urban aesthetics, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung said that if urban regulations enforcement forces in wards and communes work strictly and take strong action, the situation will certainly be controlled. In addition, it is necessary to establish severe penalties to deter violations. Furthermore, construction permitting agencies should also have mandatory regulations requiring project owners to sign contracts for the proper transportation of construction waste, ensuring that it is sorted and collected in the correct locations. Violations could result in penalties, and repeated violations could lead to the suspension of construction projects.

Furthermore, the agencies and units of the Vinh City People's Committee need to coordinate closely with relevant agencies such as the police force, construction inspectors, traffic inspectors, officials of the City Urban Environment Company, and neighborhood committees to promptly detect and handle violations. Initially, a campaign should be organized to strictly inspect and handle violations, creating order and awareness among the people regarding the proper disposal of construction waste. By doing so, the problem of illegal waste dumping in the wards and communes of Vinh City will certainly be reduced and gradually eliminated. This is also one of the goals in building Vinh City into a civilized, clean, and modern urban area.

Text and photos:Nguyen Khoa