QUẢNG NGÃI — Many areas in Quảng Ngãi City are overrun by rubbish while residents await the completion of a new waste treatment plant.

Heaps of discarded waste line National Highway 1A, particularly on the sections that run through Đức Phổ and Tư Nghĩa districts and Thịnh Phong Commune in Sơn Tịnh District, Vietnam News Agency reported.

At the southern gate of the city, rubbish piled up along roads and overflowed into nearby channels. A number of dustbins were set up there, but residents did not use them.

The trash has piled up for days, giving off a noxious odour, particularly in rainy days.

In Tư Nghĩa District alone, around 50 tonnes of domestic rubbish are discharged each day.

Từ Thị Nguyệt, a trader at Vệ river market, said people from surrounding areas also came to the area to dispose of their rubbish.

“The garbage piles up, stinks all day and is covered by flies and mosquitoes,” she said. “We have to contribute money to buy canvas sheets to cover the garbage in order to reduce the horrible smell.”

Lê Quang Nam, a resident of Nghĩa Thương Commune, said the amount of garbage was out of hand.

“We hope local authorities take measures to deal with the problem. If the situation keeps going much longer it will cause diseases, particularly during floods in the upcoming rainy season.”

The burning of rubbish along roadsides also threaten traffic safety. Smoke from the burning threatens to impair the vision of drivers, posing high risks for people travelling on these roads. National Highway 1A is typically crowded with vehicles.

Phan Văn Nghĩa, a resident of Mộ Đức District, said he often had to avoid the burning rubbish along the highway by driving his motorbike in lanes intended for cars.

Concerning measures to deal with the situation, Chairman of the Tư Nghĩa District People’s Committee Lê Trung Thành said: “While waiting for the new waste treatment plant to be completed, sanitation workers will temporarily use big nylon bags to collect the waste gathered at temporary rubbish collection points.”

“We will also cover the rubbish with canvas sheets and spray chemicals to reduce the odour,” he said. “Residents are encouraged to sort their rubbish at home to reduce pollution and for easier treatment like burning.”

“Local authorities are actively raising awareness of environmental pollution and teaching residents not to throw rubbish along national highways,” he added.

The Nghĩa Kỳ landfill in Nghĩa Kỳ Commune was responsible for the storage and treatment of rubbish from Quảng Ngãi City and the surrounding districts of Tư Nghĩa, Sơn Tịnh and Nghĩa Hành. However, it became overloaded just six years after being put into operation in 2011.

Investment and Development Construction JSC was licensed to transform the landfill into a waste treatment plant last year. The plant was expected to be put into operation last month, but construction lagged behind schedule.

Provincial authorities requested the company strictly follow the construction plan to quickly meet the area’s waste collection and treatment demand.

They also urged authorities of districts and communes to find better temporary dumping sites while waiting for the completion of the project and to take measures to prevent pollution. — VNS