HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City administration is planning to reducethe number of waste transfer stations in the city and strengthening measures totreat solid waste to protect the environment.

According to the plan, the city will only have 40 stations by 2025 and 36stations by 2035.

From now to 2025, the city will stop the operation of nineexisting stations that pollute the environment in District 7, 8, 9, 12, Thu Ducdistrict, Hoc Mon district and Can Gio district.

In addition, the city will expand and upgrade 11 stations inDistrict 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, Go Vap district, Thu Duc district, Binh Chanh districtand Hoc Mon district.

From 2025 to 2035, the city will stop operating stations orchange the using purpose for six stations.

During that time, the city will continue to operate 34waste transfer stations that have expanded and upgraded and newly built twocity-level of waste transfer stations in Cu Chi and Binh Chanh district

In addition these stations must ensure sufficient areas, safeenvironmental distances and national technical regulations for these solidwaste transfer stations.

The municipal authorities will also equip garbagecollection system, waste water and exhaust gas treatment system for theremaining stations, apply closed technology to ensure that they will notaffect the surrounding environment, and connect with waste collection andtransportation units.

For district-level stations, the station must have a totalarea arranged from 5,000 to 10,000 square meters.

These stations must also ensure the capacity to receivedomestic solid waste generated from now to 2025 and capable of serving manyother activities such as classification of solid waste at source, collectionand classification of storage household waste, medical waste and other types ofwaste.

The reduction and moving these stations out of the inner cityand the investment of modern waste treatment systems for these stations is thegreat determination of the city to protect the environment sustainably, andimprove the quality of people's lives.

Tran Vinh Tuyen, deputy chairman of the city’s PeopleCommittee asked related agencies to continue to raise public awareness,urging people to not litter to the environment.

Agencies should focus on the application of informationtechnology to make propaganda more effective, Tuyen added.

In addition, the city authorities must strengthen theinspection, and handling violations in the district, and replicate initiativesand useful ideas to protect the environment, Tuyen said.

The city People's Committee has just issued the regulation onmanagement of domestic solid waste in the city which will be effective fromJune 1.

According to regulations, individuals, households mustsort solid waste at source into three  groups, including easilybiodegradable organic waste, waste capable of being reused andrecycled and the group of remaining waste.

The People's Committee of the ward will be responsiblefor  considering and resolving the feedback and recommendations of individuals,households on waste in the area.

After receiving complaints and feedback from people aboutunclassified waste, within 24 hours, individuals and organisations must conductwaste disposal or they will be fined by the city authority. — VNS/VNA