Another Ho Chi Minh City neighborhood falls victim to foul smell
Friday, September 09, 2016, 17:19 GMT+7
Although the disturbing odor spreading throughout southern neighborhoods in Ho Chi Minh City is still a mystery, the awful stench continues to blanket the city’s District 8.
Residents on Cao Lo Street reported that the stench of garbage and waste has been lingering over the area, with the most pungent odors wafting through the air on Tuesday, creating an adverse affect on daily life during the day and for hours into the evening.
Nguyen Thai Hao, a local resident, said that the odor has been present since the beginning of the month, but only lately has it begun wafting into the area for longer each day at a much thicker density.
“It was unbearable on Tuesday evening. I felt like I was about to vomit,” he recounted, adding that many of his neighbors shut doors to keep the stench out of their houses.
Bui Ta Hoang Vu, chairman of District 8 People’s Committee, toldTuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that an investigation into the source of the odor would be carried out.
Similar smells have been reported in other southern-Ho Chi Minh City locales including Phu My Hung township in District 7, Binh Chanh District, and Nha Be.
Following residents’ complaints of the awful smell, Phu My Hung Corporation carried out an inspection on the entire area’s infrastructure system, particularly the wastewater treatment facility, but no source was identified.
The unsuccessful investigation led to a request for advice and solutions from the Ho Chi Minh City administration and other competent agencies, such as the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
The municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment has established a hotline for the city’s residents to report foul odors and has requested assistance from local experts to identifying their origins.
According to Nguyen Toan Thang, director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the smell likely stems from the Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in Binh Chanh. It is likely that the south-westerly winds have been carrying the disturbing odor to neighboring residential areas.
