Hanoi ends garbage crisis after compensation talks

Residents of Hanoi's suburban district of Soc Son on July 17 stopped blocking access to Nam Son waste treatment plant, ending the garbage crisis in the capital city that lasted for a few days, local media reported.

The move came after they were promised compensation for land clearance, support and resettlement by the district authority.

Residents of Nam Son and Hong Ky communes have removed tents, tables and chairs on the road to allow vehicles to enter the landfill.

Since July 12, locals blocked roads leading to the dump site in Soc Son district, 25 kilometers to the north of Hanoi's center to protest inadequate compensation and resettlement delays. The protest left garbage-laden pushcarts stranded across the city.

Garbage piles up in Hanoi city every time Nam Son waste treatment plant is blocked by local residents. Photo: Viet Linh

After being convinced by the district authorities during dialogues on July 17, the locals slowly cleared the roadblocks. Meanwhile, garbage trucks began transporting rubbish to various other dump sites.

For five days, people living in the communes of Nam Son and Hong Ky around the waste treatment plant protested against the city’s tardiness in compensating and resettling them away from the garbage dump.

Locals have not acceptedcompensation proposals and resettlement plans for people living within 500 meters of the Nam Son waste treatment complex, who are the most affected by the pollution and smell it causes. They said thecompensation offered for their agricultural and residential land is not enough for their decent resettlement.

They wanted authorities to reconsider location and compensation for resettlement to ensure people’s benefits.

At the dialogue with local residents, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Dao Duc Toan asked Soc Son district authorities to collect all requests from the people and report them to the municipal People’s Committee.

The city has already made all the necessary procedures and policies to carry out the compensation and resettlement plans, but there are still delays in the process, Toan added.

This was the seventh time the residents blocked the access to the dump site within four years, resulting in thousands of tons of garbage piling up along streets in the capital city.

The Nam Son waste treatment complex, spanning over 157 ha, was built in 1999 in Nam Son, Bac Son and Hong Ky communes. The complex handles around 5,000 of the 6,500 tons the city generates each day. The other 1,500 tons are treated at the Xuan Son landfill in Son Tay Town and other small waste treatment facilities.

Hanoi discharges 6,500 tons of solid domestic waste daily and 89% of which is buried.