Under the scorching heat, some 50 young people from the Green Hanoi Group and the youth union of Kien Hung Ward, Ha Dong District spent hours picking up packaging and plastic bags around Mau Luong Bridge 1. Some even waded into the sewage of the Nhue River to remove the rubbish.

Do Van Tuan, a member of the group, slowly emerged from the murky water, his clothes stained from soaking in the effluent, his face visibly tired from long hours of work, to tell The Hanoi Times: "I recently joined the group. This is really meaningful work because it helps keep the environment clean.” As willing as residents and sanitation workers, young people aged 20 to 30 are risking their health to keep Hanoi's environment clean.

"The members could only find time to clean up on weekends because they were busy with school or work during the week," said Bui Bich Phuong, one of the first to join the group.

Every Sunday morning, the Hanoi Green group gets together to pick up litter all over the capital. Last Sunday (July 8), the young people chose the bridge over the Nhue River in Ha Dong District to clean up.

Tons of trash and an unpleasant odor coming from the Nhue River's sewage have long plagued the area surrounding the Mau Luong 1 Bridge. The rubbish ranges from nylon bags, books, and candy wrappers to children's toys from nearby households, factories, hospitals, and schools.

Nguyen Thi Quy, a 64-year-old resident living near the Nhue River, told The Hanoi Times that local people have been seriously affected by the foul smell that comes from the river, especially during hot weather. She added that people are afraid to use the river's water to irrigate plants because of the severe pollution.

Even though members are fully equipped with protective gear, including waterproof clothing, boots, rubber gloves, and medical masks, exposure to sewage is still unavoidable and can cause serious health problems such as scabies and dermatitis.

He also revealed that before picking up waste from the river, the group repeatedly conducted surveys and assessed the quality of water sources to develop a suitable waste treatment plan.

As well as collecting rubbish from the river, some other members of the group spread out to collect trash from the areas under the bridge and around the river. Once packed, the bags of rubbish will be delivered to young people waiting on the riverbank and loaded onto collection trucks.

However, disregarding the young people's efforts, some local residents continue disposing of domestic waste in inappropriate locations and releasing raw home sewage into the river, thereby exacerbating pollution.