Residents long for Khanh Son dump’s closure

For the last 28 years, people from Hoa Khanh Nam ward in the central city of Da Nang have longed for the closure of Khanh Son landfill due to the severe pollution caused by the site.
Residents long for Khanh Son dump’s closure ảnh 1The Khanh Son landfill receives over 900 tonnes of waste daily plus about 500-600 cu.m of wastewater leaking from the garbage, causing serious pollution to surrounding areas (Photo: zing.vn)
Da Nang (VNA) - For the last 28 years, people from Hoa Khanh Nam ward in the central city of Da Nang have longed for the closure of Khanh Son landfill due to the severe pollution caused by the site.

Living near the largest dump in the city, residents got so fed up of the problem they took it upon themselves to obstruct the trucks carrying garbage to the dump. The last such incident happened on September 22 and 23.

Anger rose further after the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment in July announced that the Khanh Son dump would not be closed next year as previously planned.

Instead, the dump would be closed as soon as the city’s solid waste treatment plant is opened in 2022.

Chairman of the Lien Chieu District People’s Council Duong Thanh Thi said that for years, people living in Hoa Khanh Nam ward have complained about the dump and the pollution it caused.

Nguyen Thi Hanh, a local resident said that she really wanted to “invite” relevant agencies to come and stay at her house for a few days so they can understand how badly the pollution affects daily life.

Nguyen Thi Thanh, another resident, said at a meeting between residents and the city’s leaders early this month that nearly 2,000 families in Khanh Son ward lived with the obnoxious smell, dirt and wastewater leaking from the dump.

Tran Thi Ngai, also from Hoa Khanh Nam ward, said that the dump is now a mountain of garbage and it cannot be removed overnight.

“The city planned to offer support for families living in affected areas including tuition fees for their children, environment fee exemptions and clean water but what we lose most is our health,” Ngai said.      

Vice Chairman of the Da Nang City People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Tuan said that the city must push back the deadline for the removal of Khanh Son dump to 2022.

He said the municipal People’s Committee and People’s Council were considering the roadmap to close and remove the dump.

Tthe municipal People’s Committee had announced that the city would invest about 190 billion VND (8,200 USD) to upgrade parts of Khanh Son landfill.

Without the upgrades, the dump will only be able to handle garbage until May 2020, while the landfill is supposed to continue operations until 2022 when the city’s solid waste treatment plant opens.

Khanh Son landfill receives over 900 tonnes of waste daily plus about 500-600 cu.m of wastewater leaking from the garbage.-VNA
VNA

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