People report that the Solid Waste Treatment Plant in Da Lat "causes pollution", damages crops

People report that the Solid Waste Treatment Plant in Da Lat "causes pollution", damages crops

Monday, June 24, 2024 09:00 AM (GMT+7)

People with agricultural gardens around the Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant (Xuan Truong Commune, Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province) reported that the water source was "polluted", the stench was everywhere, affecting health and crop productivity.

Clip: Close-up of Xuan Truong solid waste treatment plant recorded by Dan Viet reporter.

Recently, Dan Viet reporters received complaints from people in the Suoi Duc bridge area, Xuan Truong commune (Da Lat city, Lam Dong province) about smoke and foul odors emitted from the Xuan Truong solid waste treatment plant. Water sources for irrigation and pesticide spraying for coffee and crops of people around the plant were also seriously affected.

In late June, reporters in the Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant observed that the stench coming from the plant was clearly visible even from kilometers away. The smell of burning garbage and the stench coming from the plant became more pronounced in the area, depending on the direction of the wind.

Locals said that for many years, the stream used for irrigation and daily activities has been polluted and unusable. When present at this stream, reporters noted that the water was pitch black and constantly bubbling. This stream provides the main water source for coffee farmers but is now unusable.

Mr. Vo Duc Vinh (a resident with a 2-hectare coffee garden near Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant) said: "Because water flows from the landfill into the stream, we have no water to irrigate and spray pesticides on our coffee garden. Therefore, we have to use 30-liter barrels to transport water from outside to spray pesticides on our plants, but it is still ineffective. My coffee has been damaged a lot in recent years. Previously, my family harvested about 15 tons of fresh coffee per hectare, but in the past few years, we have only harvested 2-3 tons."

Mr. Vinh's family's coffee branches are infected with mealybugs, but there is no water to spray pesticides, causing coffee productivity to seriously decline over the past few years.

The water along the stream was dyed black after the Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant came into operation.

Present directly in the premises of Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant, Dan Viet reporter recorded a large amount of garbage and small humus formed during the waste treatment process. In the huge amount of garbage that the plant's leaders called small humus, the reporter recorded that inside there were still many plastic bags, nylon bags... that had not been peeled off. This entire mass was left outside, uncovered, causing a lot of flies to develop.

Inside the factory, there was only a small amount of garbage being piled up by workers using machines, the factory's operating line was not working. At the time the reporter was there on the morning of June 19, only the factory's incinerator was continuously operating.

Regarding the environmental issues and reflections of Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant, Mr. Nguyen Van Trai - Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Lam Dong province said, "If we speak correctly, as soon as violations are discovered, we must temporarily stop, but we cannot do this and try to persuade the enterprise to fulfill its environmental commitments because if we stop, where will we throw away 400-500 tons of waste a day?"

Garbage in the factory is not only burned in the furnace but also burned outdoors, smoke flying everywhere. Contrary to people's reflection, talking to reporters, Mr. Cao Van Cho - Director of Green Energy Company Limited (investor of Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant) affirmed: "I confirm that there is rainwater flowing down, and we have a tank to treat the waste water and leachate. Currently, our waste plant is determined to treat all the waste brought in by separating, filtering and burning."

Previously, from June 6, Green Energy Company Limited, the investor of the Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant project, announced a temporary suspension of operations due to unpaid waste treatment costs from April 2024. The leader of Green Energy Company Limited also said that the reduction in waste treatment fees from VND 461,000/ton of waste to VND 129,500/ton of waste is what makes the waste treatment plant unable to operate in the current market economy conditions.

The leaders of Green Energy Company Limited also said that since its inception, the land assigned to the company has been encroached by people on nearly 10 hectares. Although the company's management force at the factory discovered the act of cutting down forest trees and reported it to local authorities, the encroachment has not decreased and has not been handled. Currently, Green Energy Company Limited is continuing to work with local authorities to find a way to end it in the near future.

Regarding the above waste treatment, Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee has assigned Da Lat City People's Committee to work with Green Energy Company Limited to resolve difficulties and problems and find appropriate solutions.

At the same time, Lam Dong province also requested Da Lat City to coordinate with the Department of Construction, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Planning and Investment to review and search for suitable locations to establish backup domestic waste landfills or attract additional investment projects to treat domestic waste when Xuan Truong Solid Waste Treatment Plant has problems and stops operating.

Van Long

Source: https://danviet.vn/nguoi-dan-phan-anh-nha-may-xu-ly-rac-thai-ran-tai-da-lat-gay-o-nhiem-thiet-hai-mua-mang-20240619171833353.htm