Residents in Hanoi are once again dumping their garbage along local streets, resulting in environmental pollution and making it difficult for garbage collectors to do their job.

Countless piles of trash were seen along the sides of many streets in Ba Dinh, Cau Giay, Dong Da, Tay Ho, and Nam Tu Liem Districts on Saturday, according to the observation of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters.

The garbage produced a foul smell and even oozed liquid, which threatens the environment and cityscape as well as affects the lives of nearby residents.

On such streets as Nguyen Quoc Tri and Mac Thai To in Cau Giay District, people have been secretly dumping trash despite the warning signs.

Local residents, who referred to these streets as the ‘garbage streets,’ stated that the situation has persisted for two years.

Along busy De La Thanh Street in Ba Dinh District, a makeshift landfill has existed for several months.

The problem also occurs on some new streets that have yet to be officially inaugurated in Dong Da and Tay Ho Districts.

“We sometimes spot people dumping their garbage at night, and they even threatened us when we complained,” said Phuong, a sanitation worker in Nam Tu Liem District.

This issue is not unprecedented as Tuoi Tre had already reported about it in late 2020 and early 2021.

Vietnam produces more than 61,000 metric tons of domestic solid waste a day, including 9,100 metric tons in Ho Chi Minh City and 6,500 metric tons in Hanoi, according to Nguyen Thuong Hien, deputy head of the Vietnam Environment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

According to current regulations, dumping garbage on sidewalks and roadways is punishable by a fine worth VND1-2 million (US$43-87).

This penalty is not harsh enough to deter such a wrongdoing, said Truong Anh Tu, a member of the Hanoi Bar Association.

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