'Toxic garbage' is dumped haphazardly in many fields in Nghe An

"Spray it where you throw it away"

Ms. Mai Thi Ha, who has 5 fields in her family, said: For each rice crop, she sprays pesticides 6 to 7 times - from weed killers, to prevent grain rot, blast, and leaf rollers.

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“Basically, people just throw away the pesticides wherever they spray, and the waste flows wherever it goes without paying much attention, mostly flowing down the drain. There are bins for rubbish in the fields, but they are many kilometres away, so few people bring them to the bins for collection.

Mrs. Mai Thi Ha - Loc Tien hamlet, Thuong Tan Loc commune, Nam Dan district

In recent years, in Thuong Tan Loc commune, bins have been installed to store packaging and bottles of plant protection drugs after use, but according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hiep, an officer of the commune's Agricultural Service Cooperative, people rarely put their trash in the bins.

“On average, each hamlet has two bins in its fields, but because each field is usually very large and the distance is quite far, some people, after spraying pesticides, collect them in plastic bags and throw them away with their household waste; but mostly people just throw away the packaging and empty bottles right on the edge of the fields and in the canals. The commune also organizes collection, but only once per crop; the collected waste is taken away with the household waste,” said Ms. Hiep.

In the fields today, it is not difficult to see the image of empty bottles and pesticide packaging scattered on the banks of fields, canals, and even in the fields. This situation is very common in localities in the province, especially during the crop season, when people use a lot of pesticides to prevent pests and diseases for crops.

In the vegetable fields of Dien Thinh commune, pesticide waste bins are installed next to irrigation wells for people's convenience. Propaganda and reminders are broadcast on the loudspeaker system and at local meetings, but some people still litter indiscriminately on ditches, paths and fields.

Meanwhile, the commune only collects it during irrigation campaigns 1-2 times a year and then burns it. Ms. Hoang Thi Ha, head of the Duc Hau hamlet farmers' association, said: "A lot of waste is thrown around, especially during the "peak" season of pesticide use. I have to collect it once a week, put it in a plastic bag, and put it in the household waste collection area for the garbage truck to take away. On less frequent occasions, it takes a few weeks, or even a month," she said.

Alarming situation

On average, Nghe An farmers use 300-400 tons of pesticides each year, and the amount of packaging and bottles discharged into the environment is also corresponding, estimated at about 25-30 tons of packaging and bottles of various types of pesticides. However, in addition to the amount of waste collected at centralized tanks, the situation of people littering is still quite common, causing environmental pollution.

This is an alarming situation that requires decisive measures because according to research, only more than 40% of the amount of pesticides after spraying comes into direct contact with pests and takes effect, more than 50% of the remaining pesticides fly into the air, remain in the packaging and are washed away with water flowing into canals, ponds and lakes when discarded carelessly.

Not only does it seep into soil and water, polluting groundwater and surface water, affecting soil quality and degrading the ecosystem; but when people come into direct contact with toxic substances from packaging or indirectly through contaminated food and drinking water, they can suffer from skin, respiratory, neurological diseases and even cancer.

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Failure to collect and properly dispose of pesticide packaging after use may result in an administrative penalty with a maximum fine of VND500,000, and the authority to impose the penalty belongs to the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee. Therefore, the role of local authorities in propaganda and especially in monitoring, inspection and handling is extremely important.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection

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