Need to promptly handle the situation of littering on the roadside

Small bags of trash left on the side of the road without anyone noticing gradually become spontaneous dumps that give off a foul smell and obstruct traffic...

A spontaneous landfill in Khanh Hoi A hamlet.

Article 25 of Decree 45/2022/ND-CP on administrative sanctions for violations in the field of environmental protection stipulates: A fine of VND 500,000 to VND 1,000,000 shall be imposed for the act of dumping, disposing of waste, or dumping wastewater in the wrong place in apartment buildings, commercial or service areas, or public places;

Sharing with reporters, some households in Khanh Hoi A hamlet, Dong Thanh commune, Chau Thanh district, were upset when Phu An - Dong Phu road, the section in Khanh Hoi A hamlet, Dong Thanh commune, for nearly a year now has seen many spontaneous piles of garbage appearing, not only giving off a foul smell but also obstructing traffic and ruining the beauty of the road.

“Only about 400m apart, there are two piles of garbage. No one is collecting them and they are not decreasing, they are only increasing. Sometimes the garbage even spills out onto the street, it looks very offensive,” said Mr. H., a local resident.

Also living in the area, Ms. X. said that there are nearly 30 households here, but most of them leave their trash in front of their houses because there are garbage trucks. "I don't know who put the trash in the piles along the road, many people even leave wooden furniture and household items there without permission," Ms. X. added.

Talking about the spontaneous garbage pile near her house, Ms. L. said: "There are few houses in that area, so people just pass by and throw it away."

Not only on Khanh Hoi A Hamlet road, but according to the reporter's records, there are currently some spontaneous "mini" landfills causing environmental pollution in other locations in Chau Thanh district.

In some places, even though authorities or households have put up signs saying "No dumping", right under the sign are a few bags of trash, sometimes even a whole pile.

People added that during the dry season it is tolerable, but when it rains, the water from the spontaneous dump combined with the rainwater flowing onto the street gives off a strong stench.

Talking to Hau Giang Newspaper reporter, Mr. Pham Hoang Tan, Chairman of Dong Thanh Commune People's Committee, Chau Thanh District, said: Currently, the commune has established 7 garbage collection teams/9 hamlets; for some garbage points appearing along Phu An - Dong Phu road, in Khanh Hoi A hamlet, mainly due to people dumping garbage late at night, making it difficult to detect and punish.

“The local government has also organized a meeting with the people, encouraging them to commit to not littering and to register for garbage collection with the environmental sanitation company. On the other hand, we also asked the district to support the arrangement of more trash bins to limit the current situation of littering along the road,” Mr. Tan emphasized.

Changing habits is not easy, changing awareness is even more difficult. Therefore, in addition to "banning", it is necessary to strengthen inspection and severely punish littering to create deterrence. However, the important thing is still the awareness of each person in maintaining public hygiene, together building a civilized life.

Article 25 of Decree 45/2022 on administrative sanctions for violations in the field of environmental protection also stipulates:

Fines from VND 1,000,000 to VND 2,000,000 shall be imposed for the act of dumping, disposing of, or discarding waste on sidewalks, roadsides, or into urban wastewater drainage systems or surface drainage systems; improperly dumping wastewater on sidewalks, roadsides; and disposing of plastic waste generated from daily activities into ponds, lakes, canals, rivers, streams, or the sea.

Article and photos: BB

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