Building a tank to collect waste to protect plants, changing people's awareness
(Baonghean.vn) - Although the tank system has not been closed according to regulations, there are still some problems in the process of using tanks, collecting and treating plant protection waste, not meeting practical requirements, but in general, the situation of littering packaging and pesticide bottles has decreased significantly.
After 7 years of implementing the plan "Building a system of tanks to collect and treat packaging and bottles of pesticides after use in the fields, and educating people about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community", Nghe An has built a system of tanks in key agricultural production areas of the province, significantly changing the awareness of producers in the issue of collecting and treating this type of hazardous waste.
Nghe An Newspaper interviewed Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc - Head of the Provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection about the results achieved, as well as the direction of implementation in the coming time.
Reporter:Sir, up to now, we still cannot completely handle the source.packaging waste, pesticide bottlesafter use in the field. Can you share about the actual harmful effects of this type of hazardous waste on the environment as well as human health?
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc:Currently, agricultural production in Vietnam in general and Nghe An in particular is still largely traditional, small-scale and fragmented. In such conditions, the use of pesticides to prevent pests and diseases that harm crops is inevitable if productivity is desired.
Pesticide packaging and bottles are mainly made of nylon and plastic bottles, so they are very difficult to decompose and can last for decades, even hundreds of years in natural conditions. Besides, according to estimates, only more than 40% of the amount of pesticides after spraying directly comes into contact with pests, more than 50% of the remaining amount of pesticidesresidualin packaging, flying into the air, especially being washed away with water flowing into canals, ponds, lakes, causing environmental pollution and harmful effects on human health.
Every year, our province uses 500 - 700 tons of pesticides, equivalent to about 50 - 70 tons of packaging and empty bottles of pesticides being thrown into the fields. These numbers can show the terrible damage if not collected and treated properly.
Based on practical requirements, from 2017 to present, the province has allocated budget to implement the construction plan.collection tank systempackaging and pesticide bottles after use in the fields, and to educate people about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community. The provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection is the unit assigned to implement this plan.
Reporter:So far, what results have we achieved, sir?
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc:Yen Thanh is the first locality selected to implement the plan, starting from 2017. After Yen Thanh, key agricultural production districts and those in need will continue to receive support from the province to build a collection tank system while at the same time propagating and raising people's awareness of the harmful effects of pesticide residues, awareness in the issue of collecting and treating packaging and pesticide bottles according to regulations. Up to now, in addition to the efforts of the localities, the province has supported the budget to build 6,735 tanks in 78 communes of 6 districts, of which Yen Thanh has 2,215 tanks, Do Luong has 1,428 tanks, Thanh Chuong has 870 tanks, Anh Son has 438 tanks, Dien Chau has 850 tanks and Quynh Luu has 934 tanks.
Although the tank system has not been closed according to regulations, there are still some problems in the process of using tanks, collecting and treating plant protection waste, not meeting practical requirements, but in general, the implementation of the construction of the tank system and the promotion of propaganda have brought about clear results. In agricultural production areas where tanks have been installed, people have gradually become aware of collecting waste into tanks, the situation of littering in the fields with packaging and bottles of plant protection products after use has decreased significantly, in many areas there are almost none left.
Reporter:Compared to actual and regulatory requirements, Nghe An has yet to meet the number of collection tanks. So could you please tell us about the province's plan for the coming time?
Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc:In 2022 and 2023, from the province's support, we built 2,679 more plant protection waste collection tanks. Compared to the requirements and regulations, there is still a huge shortage, especially in some localities such as Nghi Loc, Hoang Mai, Quy Hop, Que Phong, even in Tuong Duong, Ky Son and Cua Lo districts, there are almost no plant protection waste collection tanks, while the need in these 3 localities is up to nearly 1,800. These are potential dangers, very toxic to the environment, human health and the community.
Nghe An has an area of nearly 154,000 hectares of land for rice, vegetables and short-term crops that can be used to collect pesticide packaging and bottles. To ensure the requirements specified in the Joint Circular of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, we must have 51,330 tanks. As of March 2022, there were only 15,508 tanks in the province, so the number of tanks still missing is up to 35,822.
In 2022 and 2023, from the province's support, we have only been able to build 2,679 more plant protection waste collection tanks.
Not only is there a lack of collection tanks, but the problem of treating this source of hazardous waste is also very inadequate. Currently, each year, the Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection only collects and treats according to safe procedures about 2.5 tons of plant protection waste, accounting for about 3.6% of the amount of packaging; in localities, the collection and treatment according to regulations is almost negligible. The remaining huge amount of waste is not treated properly. To solve this problem, every year the Provincial People's Committee, districts and levels and sectors need to arrange funding to collect and destroy according to regulations.
With the goal of gradually perfecting the system for collecting and treating packaging and pesticide bottles, raising people's awareness and responsibility, in the coming time, the plan "Building a system of tanks to collect and treat packaging and pesticide bottles after use in the fields, educating people about the harmful effects of pesticide residues on humans and the community" will continue to be implemented in localities in the province, with priority given to investment and construction in areas with concentrated agricultural production land areas and large amounts of pesticides used.
Along with that, propaganda work will continue to be promoted to raise people's awareness and understanding in order to gradually change the habit of littering pesticide packaging and bottles after use in the fields.
Reporter:Thank you!
