Son Hai (Quynh Luu): More than 40 households live with polluted wastewater

(Baonghean.vn) - For more than 15 years, 40 households in Hamlet 2, Son Hai Commune (Quynh Luu) have had to live with a sewage ditch filled with garbage and emitting a foul smell, especially in hot weather like today.

The family of Ms. Ho Thi Man in Hamlet 2, Son Hai Commune is the household most heavily affected by the commune's wastewater ditch, because her house is opposite the ditch, and when she opens the door, the suffocating stench rushes into the house.

Ms. Man said: Her family has 8 people, including 5 children and an elderly sick mother, who have to smell the foul smell from this drainage ditch day and night. The family has petitioned the neighborhood and commune many times to find a solution to the pollution, but so far it has not been resolved.

The thick, foul-smelling wastewater affects people's lives. Photo: Nhu Thuy

Not only Ms. Man's family, but also more than 40 households with about 200 people in Hamlet 2, Son Hai Commune, are having to deal with the stench from the sewage ditch day and night. Ms. Man was upset: "When the sun comes up, the stench is even stronger, sometimes it's unbearable and we have to wear masks to sleep."

Ms. Phan Thi Thuat - head of Hamlet 2 said: "This ditch is more than 500m long, running from Quynh Thuan commune up to Son Hai commune and then flowing to Lach Thoi wharf. This area used to be a wide and deep duckweed pond. After a while, many households filled the soil to build auxiliary works and livestock barns, narrowing the ditch area to only about 1m. The ditch was already narrow, and the section through Hamlet 2 was deeply sunken, so every time the tide rose or it rained, garbage from everywhere flowed in, causing the ditch to become increasingly clogged. Along with that, due to the poor awareness of some surrounding households, they directly discharged wastewater and livestock and poultry waste into the ditch, causing many sections of waste to thicken, causing serious pollution."

Discussing this issue, Mr. Hoang Son - Vice Chairman of Son Hai Commune People's Committee said: "This canal has existed for a long time and often has stagnant waste. During the rainy season, the water rises, carrying garbage and wastewater into people's houses. In hot weather like now, the wastewater smells unbearable. This is an inter-commune canal connecting Quynh Thuan to Son Hai under the management of the district. The commune has repeatedly proposed to the district to coordinate to completely resolve the above pollution situation, but due to limited funding, an environmental improvement project has not been arranged yet."

Some households lack awareness of dumping livestock waste, causing serious pollution in the canal. Photo: Nhu Thuy

In early March 2017, more than 100 officers and soldiers of Division 324 had a working trip in the locality, together with the people, to collect trash and plastic bags, but the ditch through Hamlet 2 was deeper at both ends, so the waste could not flow to Lach Thoi estuary. After about 2 or 3 days of collection, the waste accumulated and stagnated here.

"In the short term, the locality has also mobilized households to rent machinery and cranes to clear the sewers. However, in the long term, the commune has proposed to the district and the province to support the construction of a number of canals for Son Hai to ensure flood and water drainage, and completely handle the pollution situation for people's daily life," Mr. Hoang Son added.

Currently, Quynh Luu district is planning to promote the construction of Ngo town in Son Hai commune. Relevant agencies need to have long-term measures, both adjusting urban planning and combining projects to mobilize funding to solve environmental pollution here./.

Nhu Thuy

(Quynh Luu Radio)