Youth-Led Environmental Initiative in Hanoi

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. 

“After a month, we usually come back to check on the sites the team has cleaned. It's sad that our efforts are not appreciated", Phuong complained. She hoped that people would become more aware and work together to protect the environment.

Not only Mau Luong 1 Bridge, the group has cleaned up dozens of polluted rivers and streets in districts across Hanoi after nearly two years of operation.

Founded at the end of 2022 by Nguyen Tien Huy with the desire to protect the living environment, the Green Hanoi group initially had only three members. After a few days of work, the group decided to make video clips and post them on social networking platforms to spread environmental messages, hoping their actions could influence people's awareness and behavior.

After more than two months, the group has grown to nearly 200 members of all ages and professions.  There are now around 400 people involved.

“Green Hanoi operates independently and is not affiliated with any agency, unit, or organization. The group is always open to youth organizations and college and university students who wish to join," said Nguyen Tien Huy. Green Hanoi has launched a series of campaigns to clean up trash in toxic hotspots, such as To Lich River, Nhue River, Day River, Mau Luong 1 Bridge, Cau Ngoi Pagoda, Linh Dam Lake. In addition, the group has also expanded its scope of operations to suburban areas, including Sai Dong Ward in Long Bien District, Vinh Quynh Commune in Thanh Tri District, Duong Quang Commune in Gia Lam District.

Due to the significant amount of garbage in many areas, the group was forced to work at a fairly high frequency, ranging from 12 to 15 sessions per month in 2023. By 2024, the crew is working only once a week as the city's garbage has decreased significantly.

The group divides the polluted area into smaller ones and cleans each one in turn within the allotted time, following the motto "Completely eliminate waste in polluted places." The team estimates it will take about 30 working days to clean up the Nhue River.

As part of the effort to raise people's environmental awareness, the group placed public bins in the cleaned-up locations, encouraging local people to dispose of their rubbish in the right place.

As a result of the young people's tireless efforts, the amount of litter in the most polluted areas has dropped significantly and the river flow has gradually been restored to its natural flow. Local people expressed their deep gratitude to the young people and promised to stop littering.