Environmental pollution in the collection, transportation and treatment of solid waste is developing in a complicated way, the Environmental Crime Prevention and Fighting Police told a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on November 1.

According to the department, the lack of environmental reports and projects, improper construction of facilities and irregular solid waste treatment are common violations.

Statistics released by the Technical Infrastructure Department under the Construction Ministry last year show that the whole country discharges 61,500 tonnes of daily solid waste, with 31,000 tonnes in urban areas and 30,500 tonnes in the countryside.

About 85.3 percent of solid waste in urban areas and 20-30 percent in rural areas is treated.
The volume of solid waste in urban areas is expected to reach 37,000 tonnes in 2015 and 50,000 tonnes in 2020.

The country has around 458 dumping grounds with a total area of over 1.8 hectares with only 121 meeting hygiene standards.

Nguyen Quoc Tuan, deputy head of the Technical Infrastructure Department, said solid waste treatment has become a pressing issue not only in urban areas but also in the countryside.

About 73 percent of urban solid waste is collected and treated using unhygienic methods. Meanwhile, a huge volume of solid waste has not been collected and treated in rural areas, causing environmental pollution and occupying a large area of land.

He also pointed out inadequate legal documents on solid waste management and the unclear demarcation of tasks between ministries and branches, especially in rural areas.

Delegates at the seminar proposed solutions to handle the issue such as the ratification of a national plan on solid waste management, building relevant legal documents, supporting investors in this field and public awareness-raising work.-VNA