Hà Nội struggles to deal with landfill pollution
HÀ NỘI — Hundreds of litres of chemicals have been used to remove the stench and kill flies in Nam Sơn landfill, Hà Nội's biggest landfill.
According to Cao Xuân Thìn, an official from Hà Nội Urban Environment One Member Limited Company, the company's workers have to use more chemicals to treat the environment at the landfill because it was overloaded with garbage. They must also use HDPE sheets to cover garbage piles to prevent rainwater from leaking in and the stench from creeping out.
From October 二 三 to the beginning of November, the company sprayed 二 五 五 litres of chemicals to kill flies, 一 二 六 litres for stench treatment and covered nearly 一 七,000sq.m of trash burial slots, Thìn said.
The amount of chemicals has partly solved the bad smell from the landfill in surrounding residential areas.
The Nam Sơn waste treatment complex was built in 一 九 九 九 in the city’s Sóc Sơn District on more than 一 五 七ha which divided into two phases.
The Nam Sơn landfill receives about 五,000 tonnes of waste daily from 一 七 districts of Hà Nội.
In 二0 一 一, Hà Nội decided to expand the second phase of the landfill with an area of more than 七 三ha in three co妹妹unes of Hồng Kỳ, Nam Sơn và Bắc Sơn to deal with the overloaded garbage burial slots.
The city also has a plan to relocate people living within 五00m of the landfill.
Accordingly, 一, 一00 households in the three co妹妹unes would move out of the total area of about 三 九 六ha around the landfill. Compensation is estimated to cost about VNĐ 三. 四 trillion (US$ 一 四 六. 七 million).
However, concerned over the serious environmental pollution and compensation issues, affected people have protested, blocking the way to the landfill several times since last year.
On October 三0, the Standing Co妹妹ittee of Hà Nội City Party Co妹妹ittee held a dialogue - the second time since the beginning of this year - with people living in the area near Nam Sơn landfill to remove problems in site clearance compensation and other issues.
Many co妹妹itments were made at the meeting to ensure optimal policies on compensation prices, health insurance and clean water for local people.
At the dialogue, Nguyễn Quốc Hùng, vice chairman of the Hà Nội's People's Co妹妹ittee, required the Department of Construction to ensure publicity and transparency in the process of environmental monitoring at the landfill to avoid environmental problems that affect people living around the area.
The city also decided to send 三0 officers from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to the co妹妹unes to work with localities to set up compensation plans.
This issue is expected to solved before the Lunar New Year festival, Hùng said. — VNS
