Waste collectors in Ho Chi Minh City are using streets and sidewalks to stash waste from their carts prior to loading it onto larger vehicles.

The issue has contributed to traffic congestion and pollution in many districts throughout the city.

One of the large-scale on-street makeshift dumps is a 100 meter stretch along Tan Son Street in Go Vap District, with more than 100 metric tons of garbage piling up on a daily basis

“With so many waste collection vehicles in the area, the road is usually gridlocked during rush hour and traffic accidents frequently occur at night as people try to avoid the collection vehicles,” Nguyen Van An, deputy director of the SOS Children’s Village in Go Vap, said.

An also told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the stench of waste is affecting hundreds of children at the village, which is located opposite the site.

“Local residents are complaining of the foul smell in the area,” he added.

Another waste collection spot located on 3/2 Street in District 10 has left a pungent odor wafting though the surrounding area, forcing passers-by to hold their noses.

Transfer station shortage

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, there are 31 transfer stations across the city, but only five of them are standardized.

Huynh Minh Nhut, director of the city environment company CITENCO Co. Ltd, believes that the modest number of transfer stations is the main catalyst for the rise of on-street waste collection sites.

“The city currently has no plans to construct new transfer stations, which is a hindrance to the garbage disposal system’s effectiveness.”

“Some existing facilities are also set to halt operations to build other public constructions,” Nhut said, noting that these actions will give rise to more waste being left on the city’s streets and sidewalks.

“The city has two waste treatment facilities, the Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in Binh Chanh District and another in Cu Chi District, which is too far to directly transport the waste.

“Thus, it is crucial to build more transfer stations around the city,” Nhut explained, insisting that appropriately positioning the facilities will greatly reduce the number of on-street waste dumping locations.

Ngo Toai Chuong, deputy head of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee Division of Go Vap, said that the division is working with the district people’s committee to relocate the dumpsites and arrange new ones that will help alleviate the waste load at existing locations.

“These are only short-term solutions,” Chuong said, adding that the district is constructing a one hectare collection center at a cost of nearly VND100 billion (US$4.48 million).

“When we put the new facility into operation in 2018, we will eliminate all existing waste collection sites on streets in the district,” Chuong added.

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