The situation is particularly dire for farmers in Xuan Truong Commune, as their water sources have been contaminated and a noxious odour has permeated the air, posing a significant threat to their livelihoods and crops.
"Smoke and a bad odour from the plant has spread kilometres," a resident said. "A nearby spring that supplies water for daily use and agricultural activities has been badly contaminated."
A farmer, Vo Duc Vinh, said he had difficulty finding water for his two hectares of coffee trees because the nearby spring was polluted.
"Many coffee trees have died from a shortage of water," he said. "We used to harvest some 15 tonnes of coffee beans from each crop, but the amount has sharply decreased to just two to three tonnes in recent years."
Speaking about the problem, Nguyen Van Trai, deputy director of the Lam Dong Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said they had received complaints from local people but could not halt the waste treatment plant's operation.
"If we ask the plant to halt operation, how can we deal with 400-500 tonnes of rubbish being discharged daily in our area?" Trai said. "We can only ask the plant to follow their environment protection commitments".
The investor claimed that they're burning all the rubbish in their incinerators and that no untreated wastewater is leaking outside; however, rubbish is being burnt in the incinerators and outdoor dumping sites, creating a large amount of smoke.
The Lam Dong authorities are working with the investor to address and rectify the situation.
