The landfill in Lam Sơn Commune in Hải Dương causes severe pollution impacting the local people.  — VNA/VNS Photo

HẢI DƯƠNG — Nearly 200 households are having to live with continuing pollution caused by the local landfill, in Lam Sơn Village, Thanh Miện District in the northern province of Hải Dương.

Many villagers are reportedly suffering from respiratory and digestive diseases, and they have petitioned authorities numerous times but the situation has not been resolved.

Lam Sơn landfill, put into use in 2011, was built in a rice field area just 200m from the residential area.

Previously, this landfill was only used for collecting waste from the village alone so it did not cause an environmental pollution problem,

But in 2011, the People's Committee of Lam Sơn Commune expanded the landfill to 1,500sq.m to dump waste from all five villages of the commune.  

The large amount of garbage collected every day overloaded the landfill and garbage burning started, leaving the 200 households in Lam Sơn Village to live with the putrid smoke for many years.

Phạm Văn Dụng, a villager, said that that on humid days, the whole village can hardly sleep due to the smell from the landfill.

Many families with children did not dare to sleep at home and had to leave for safer environment, he said.

Many people in the village suffer from respiratory diseases assumed to be due to pollution from the landfill, he added.

Bùi Thị Soạn, a resident, said that people are struggling to breathe as the whole village is always surrounded by smoke from burning trash at the landfill.

Soạn recalled that during the outbreak of blue ear disease in pigs in the last few years, thousands of dead pigs were dumped in the landfill, exacerbating the pollution.

“Every day, flies and mosquitoes filled our houses and the burning took place more frequently, engulfing the whole village in smoke and a foul, burning smell, Soạn said.

People have petitioned many times but still have to live with pollution from this landfill, she said.

Thanh Miện District currently has 52 landfills for household waste, many of which do not ensure proper treatment processes. Waste is still basically treated by dumping and many landfills have not invested in appropriate collection and treatment systems. — VNS