When will the sloppiness and environmental pollution end?

The construction materials business location is located in Phuong Son commune, Quoc Oai district, gathering a lot of bricks on the Huu Day dike surface.

Prolonged situation

Business establishments and construction material gathering points are scattered on sidewalks and roadsides, turning many roads into makeshift "warehouses" and are one of the factors that make environmental pollution, especially air pollution, in Hanoi more serious. Dust, noise, and waste from these business locations are also a nightmare for people, directly affecting their health and quality of life.

Actual records on many roads in Hanoi show that the situation of construction materials encroaching on sidewalks and roads is common. For example, on the Thang Long Boulevard service road, the section passing through An Khanh commune, Hoai Duc district, there is a large construction material storage area, located right next to the roadside. In addition to bricks, stones, sand and some types of construction materials, there is also a lot of waste and solid waste.

Speaking to Kinh te & Do thi reporters, a representative of An Khanh Commune People's Committee said that this construction material yard was operating illegally on the vacant land of Thang Long Avenue. According to this representative, due to the large demand for construction materials in the area and the lack of a solid waste collection point, the yard owner arbitrarily occupied the vacant land of Thang Long Avenue to store construction materials and solid waste. "We will inspect and take measures to handle this," said a representative of An Khanh Commune People's Committee.

Similarly, on the Huu Day dike (also known as Phuong Cach dike - PV), the section flowing through Phuong Son commune, Quoc Oai district, there are also many construction material businesses right on the dike corridor. For example, the business establishment with the sign "Anh Thanh Investment and Company Limited" gathers a lot of sand, stone, and gravel right on the dike surface. In particular, a large amount of bricks are lined up on the dike surface, right next to the roadside, both occupying the road space and obstructing the view of vehicles.

Not far away, another construction material collection point even completely occupies the area on the dike road. In addition to construction materials, this place also collects a large amount of solid waste. This collection point has appeared for quite a while but there seems to be no sign of intervention from the local authorities.

The above are just a few examples of the many spontaneous construction material trading and gathering places that exist in many localities of the city. Besides encroaching on the sidewalk, encroaching on the dike corridor, etc., spontaneous construction material trading points are also a source of serious environmental pollution. According to a survey by Kinh te & Do thi reporters, most of them do not have environmental licenses, and many establishments do not even have business licenses but only operate spontaneously.

In particular, recently there has been a situation where many construction material businesses "carry" construction waste, causing more serious environmental pollution. Dump trucks carry waste out day and night, each time they dump waste, dust flies everywhere. The waste is not covered, spilling over and covering people's cultivated land. Even the situation of burning waste right at the site also causes acrid smell and toxic smoke that directly affects people's health.

This construction material gathering point is located right on the Huu Day dike, "carrying" solid waste as well.

What is the solution?

With the rapid urbanization, Hanoi is witnessing a series of construction projects springing up, from civil housing to large infrastructure projects. The demand for construction materials has therefore increased dramatically, creating conditions for spontaneous business locations to develop. Along with that, the problem of unsynchronized planning and management is also the reason why this situation persists.

 

Many experts believe that localities and authorities need to focus on propaganda work, encourage people to use and report through iHanoi, to help the handling process be faster and more transparent. This is not only the responsibility of the government, but people also need to raise awareness in reporting violations and monitoring surrounding businesses.

Currently, Hanoi does not have many concentrated areas dedicated to construction material businesses, forcing small businesses to take advantage of sidewalks and roads to do business. Meanwhile, many small construction projects in the inner city have a need to buy materials in small quantities, leading to small retail outlets springing up everywhere.

Another factor that cannot be ignored is the lack of supervision and law enforcement. In many places, although local authorities have issued prohibitions, inspection and handling are still a formality. Many businesses still have relationships with local authorities, leading to a situation of "turning a blind eye" or handling the matter perfunctorily.

According to experts, to thoroughly solve this problem, Hanoi needs to have synchronous measures, combining strict management, strict punishment and reorganizing the construction material trading system. First, it is necessary to plan areas for gathering and trading construction materials reasonably, avoiding the proliferation of small retail trading points.

Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien - an economic expert, said that instead of letting material businesses operate spontaneously, the city needs to have policies to encourage them to move to concentrated areas, both to ensure urban aesthetics and to reduce environmental pollution.

In addition, it is necessary to strengthen sanctions against violations. Instead of just administrative sanctions, measures can be applied to confiscate vehicles and suspend operations for establishments that repeatedly violate; at the same time, strengthen regular inspection and supervision to prevent re-offending.

In addition, Hanoi needs to have solutions to minimize the impact of construction material businesses on the environment. Some major cities in the world have applied the model of transporting construction materials by specialized vehicles with dust covers; requiring gathering points to use dust reduction technology and periodically spray water to limit pollution. This is the direction that Hanoi can learn to improve air quality.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/bao-gio-het-nhech-nhac-va-o-nhiem-moi-truong.html