A waste treatment facility in Hong Loc Commune, Ha Tinh Province, has exceeded its 10-year operating term but continues to take in rubbish, which has piled up like mountains and remains untreated, disrupting daily life due to pollution.
For a prolonged period, large volumes of unprocessed waste have produced a foul stench, while black wastewater has overflowed onto internal access roads.
Local authorities said the five-hectare site was built with more than VND 50 billion from the state budget and began operations in 2015.
The facility reached the end of its permitted operating period in June 2025. However, waste collection units have continued to dump daily rubbish there because no alternative site is available, leaving the facility severely overloaded.
Households living 500 to 600 metres from the dump are surrounded daily by flies and overpowering odours. Many families hang mosquito nets while eating to keep insects away. Residents also fear groundwater contamination as wastewater from the site spills into the environment and flows into nearby streams.
The Hong Loc Commune leadership said a contractor had been assigned to clear part of the excess waste to make room for new rubbish, but the effort has faced major difficulties due to limited funding and manpower.
The commune has asked higher authorities for permission to use vacant land within the dump to dig additional burial pits to receive incoming waste. In the short term, officials plan to spray disinfectants, compact the rubbish and excavate adjacent land to bury the accumulated waste.
However, these measures are only temporary while authorities wait for the construction of a solid waste treatment plant in Hong Loc, with total investment of VND 1,500 billion (about USD 61 million).
The planned plant has been zoned for construction in Thuong Phu Village, surrounding the existing dump and located about 600 metres from the nearest residential area.
While many local residents say they do not oppose the new project, they remain concerned that existing waste has not been fully treated and that the new facility would be built near upstream water sources. Residents have called on authorities to conduct careful studies to ensure an appropriate solution.
