Receiving many feedbacks from the people and through the field survey, young people in the Green Uncle Ve Club and young people in the wards of Ca Mau city noticed the embankment and riverbank in the area of the Farmer's market in Ward 7 and the area. The embankment in Ward 8 is very polluted. The amount of garbage dumped on both sides of the embankment is a lot, when the water recedes, the garbage accumulates and stinks. Especially at the Farmer's Market in Ward 7, many boats are anchored, leading to a stagnation of garbage. On the river routes, garbage from above floats back and forth. Besides, the consciousness of a part of the people is still not high, it is convenient to throw it somewhere, including throwing garbage into the river. This long-term situation will seriously affect the environment and health of small businesses, people going to the market and residents living in this area.
Understanding the harmful effects of the above situation, young people have started to carry out highly practical campaigns in environmental protection, organizing waste collection at these embankments.
Many plastic wastes are collected by young people in the Green Vet Club and union members and youths of the wards.
Thai Thanh Tuyen, a union member of Tac Van commune, said: “I find the activity of cleaning up trash on rivers and canals extremely meaningful, which will contribute to protecting a greener and cleaner environment. Small businesses here litter quite polluted. My friends and I went along the embankment route to pick up trash. I hope that many young people will participate in this activity to encourage everyone's cooperation to protect the environment."
“This activity is very meaningful because it helps people have a sense of protecting the environment and helps the ecosystem to be greener and cleaner. I think more activities like this need to be done to make the rivers cleaner. The aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters think that a few small pieces of garbage are nothing to worry about, but littering the river, especially plastic waste, will take a long time to decompose, polluting water sources and aquatic ecosystems. Don't just throw it around, especially with plastic bottles. I hope, seeing us pick up each piece of plastic wrap, each plastic bottle or cup, will inspire people's love for the environment," said Tra Minh Khoi, a volunteer in the Green Cicada Club.
Currently, the Green Vet Club is actively coordinating with the wards of Ca Mau City to implement throughout the campaign of garbage collection and cleaning of embankments, canals, rivers, etc. to improve urban beauty. Besides, young people also want to take action first, create real evidence to make visual propaganda more vivid and convincing.
It took the young people more than 3 hours to collect garbage and treat it according to regulations.
Nguyen Truong Giang, Chairman of the Green Cicada Club, shared: “After organizing many environmental protection activities, we realized that one person cleans up but ten people litter, so we decided to go. propaganda in order to raise people's awareness".
Witnessing the cooperation of young people to clean up trash and every drop of sweat, many small businesses and people in the embankment area felt moved. Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet Le, who works as a ferryman here, shared: “The garbage floats all the time, there are garbage trucks every day, but not all of it. Young people picking up trash are enthusiastic, clean and good for the environment. I feel I also have a responsibility to remind boaters not to throw garbage into the river, helping to support these young people.”
Ms. Tran Thuy Hang, a small trader in Ward 7 market, said: "I think my relatives should put garbage in the right place to clean the river. Seeing young people have such good sense, adults must be more conscious."
Besides picking up trash, the young people also clean up weeds to create beauty for the roads along the embankment.
Currently, education to raise awareness in the community about the harmful effects of plastic waste is an urgent issue. In particular, on rivers, embankments, canals, etc., people need more cooperation to protect, because sanitation workers cannot be on duty 24/24. Only when each individual is self-aware of protecting their health and the living environment will the waste management and environmental management in the province be improved.
Lam Khanh – Nhat Minh
