The Ha Noi People’s Committee has launched a "No Littering" campaign, calling on local residents to keep their neighbourhoods tidy. According to Nguyen Van Khoi, deputy head of the committee, it is common for people to litter in Ha Noi and lorries carrying waste do not cover their cargo and it falls onto the streets. The Government needs to pay more attention to trash collecting, transportation and processing plants to get rid of existing refuse.
A report from the Ha Noi Urban Environmental Hygiene Company showed that there are about 3,200 vehicles used to move refuse in the city and 15 rubbish dumps. However, there is an increasing number of construction projects going on with about 500 building sites discharging a huge amount of debris.
Tran Dang Hai, deputy head of Supervising Office, Department of Transport, said the act of fly-tipping was common and was usually carried out late at night in quiet areas. The Department of Transport had offered rewards to people who reported these illegal acts and it had really helped reduce the number of cases.
Nguyen Van Khoi also urged the Viet Nam Fatherland Front to co-operate with other related authorities to publicise this "No Littering" campaign to every household in the city.
In accordance with Decree No 23, acts of littering by any citizen will be charged VND100,000-300,000 (US$6-17). Before, the same act was charged only VND10,000 (60 cents). In the case of illegal commercial dumping, the fine can reach up to VND10 million ($600).
Le Thu Phuong of the Ha Noi Urban Environmental Hygiene Company said her company opened a hot line numbered 04 3823 2565 available 24 hours a day on which people can report trash issues in the city. "Many people have called us to report trash dumped in their neighbourhoods. We usually have our staff go and clear it immediately," Phuong said.
The office of environment police, Ha Noi Police, also has a hot line numbered 04 3939 829.
For a long time, in some residential areas, there has been a tradition that every Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, local authorities and residents clean up the neighbourhood together. The Ha Noi People’s Committee deputy head has encouraged local authorities to continue this tradition and expand it to other neighbourhoods.
Pham Quang Ngoc, head of Quarter No 7, Phan Chu Trinh Ward, said, "This is not the first time the government has launched such a campaign. The previous ones only survived for a short time and people are still littering."
Ngoc hopes that with this campaign, the Government also has a practical and strict penalty for people who litter the city. "It should be clear to everyone, who can issue fines and how much they will be," he said.
Vu Thai Ha, a resident on Pham Su Manh street, was happy to hear about this campaign. "When the dengue fever becomes extremely intense, keeping the environment dry and clean is very important," said Ha. "I would join other neighbours in cleaning the street once a week if the local authorities organise such an event."
Even though many are very responsible in keeping the area where they live clean, some are not. Truong Ngoc Lam, head of the trash clearance group in Phan Chu Trinh ward still remembers one instance of a resident in the area throwing out a bag of trash from the fifth floor of a building.
Lam said, "The Government was successful in making people wear helmets. Why aren’t they able to ban people from littering? Wearing helmets can keep you safe while keeping the environment clean will help you and your offspring stay healthy."
Everyday, households in Ha Noi dispose of about 5,500 tonnes of trash.