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| Workers from HEPCO collected trash on Vo Thi Sau Street |
Cleaning the streets first, the houses later
Since the floodwaters gradually receded, HEPCO has launched a general cleanup campaign on streets, namely Tran Hung Dao, Phan Dang Luu, Phan Boi Chau, Tran Thuc Nhan, Truong Dinh, Pham Hong Thai, and Hanoi, etc. Areas that were deeply flooded, such as Bach Dang, Huynh Thuc Khang, Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Dinh Phung, and Hai Trieu, etc., were assigned mobile teams equipped with specialized pumps and excavators to scrape the mud and wash. Simultaneously, HEPCO's Street Lighting Enterprise has been urgently inspecting and cleaning submerged electrical cabinets, fixing incidents, and ensuring safety for people traveling at night.
“In the days following the flood, all of us have been working with a spirit of urgency and responsibility, from 7am until 8 - 9pm daily. Because many streets were deeply flooded, there is a very large accumulation of mud and trash, resulting in a massive workload. In many deeply flooded areas that were submerged for a long time, the mud is 20 - 30cm thick. We have to use shovels to scoop, and transfer loads of mud and trash onto transport vehicles, so sometimes we can only clear a single section of street in a day, as mud and trash are overwhelming,” shared Mr. Ngo Thanh Chung, a worker from Nam Song Huong Environmental Enterprise.
Many workers, whose houses are in low-lying and deeply flooded areas, are also making efforts to balance their time between cleaning the city and cleaning up their own “homes”. “My house, on Hai Trieu Street, is still flooded right now. Every day, my wife asks neighbors to help clean up inside the house, because I still have the duty assigned by the company. When I get lunch break and meal, I rush home to help my family clean up the house,” shared Mr. Nguyen Xuan Cu, a worker from the Nam Song Huong Environmental Enterprise.
Beneath the heavy rain, mud-stained boots and reflective vests splattered with mud of the sanitation workers can be seen along every street. Some are rinsing away mud, while others are holding shovels to scoop up piles of trash,... “It is hard work, but we have to be fast, because if we leave it for too long, the mud will dry out, and cleaning work will be much harder,” said Mr. Cu.
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| HEPCO mobilized vehicles to scoop mud on streets |
Full force to clean streets
Mr. Tran Huu An, Deputy General Director of HEPCO, said that the company had proactively developed a flood response plan since August, including methods for restoring environmental sanitation after natural disasters. Thanks to that proactiveness, trash collection work was launched on October 28 in higher areas such as Dien Bien Phu and Phan Boi Chau... However, when the river water rose high on the afternoon of October 29, the company had to temporarily suspend operations to ensure the safety of workers. As soon as the water receded, the entire force immediately “hit the streets” with a spirit of urgency and dedication.
According to statistics, on November 1, HEPCO mobilized 571 workers for each shift (morning and afternoon), along with dozens of specialized vehicles, including garbage compactor trucks, crane trucks, water spray trucks, wheel loaders, excavators, pumps, and many other support devices. “The company mobilized almost all of its manpower to quickly handle urban waste, because the volume of waste is enormous. On November 1 alone, the volume of collected and transported trash to processing areas was 2.5 times higher than on a normal day,” said the representative of HEPCO.
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| Many streets required the use of hoses to wash away thick layers of mud |
Many central streets such as Le Loi, Tran Hung Dao, Phan Boi Chau, Tran Thuc Nhan, and Pham Hong Thai, etc., have been basically cleared of mud. Some streets, including Nguyen Huu Tho, Nguyen Phong Sac, and Ho Tung Mau, etc., are still flooded because of slowly receding water and accumulated trash. “In the coming days, we will continue the general cleanup of the city's streets, mobilizing vehicles and human resources to collect trash and clear mud in the deeply flooded and long-submerged areas, preventing prolonged pollution after the flood, and ensuring environmental sanitation and urban aesthetics,” said the representative of HEPCO.
In addition to environmental sanitation, HEPCO is also calling on the community to join hands in post-flood environmental recovery. People are advised not to dump or pile up waste indiscriminately on the streets before the water recedes, not to litter into rivers, canals, or drains, which can cause blockages; and to neatly gather trash in designated areas so that workers can easily collect it.
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Implementing Official Dispatch No. 15744/UBND-CT dated October 31 from Hue City People's Committee on general environmental sanitation after the flood, associated with the “Green Sunday” movement, from 6am on November 1 and November 2, all departments, branches, sectors, and localities in the area simultaneously launched a general environmental cleanup with the motto: “Cleaning up right after the water recedes”, ensuring absolute safety for people and property. Accordingly, the People's Committees of communes and wards will take the lead in mobilizing forces for a general environmental cleanup, focusing on collecting trash and mud, clearing blocked drains, handling animal carcasses, and cleaning residential areas, markets, and public spaces; and at the same time, guiding people on using clean water, disinfection, sanitation, and disease prevention after the flood. The Fatherland Front and political-social organizations will intensify propaganda and mobilize youth union members, association members, and people to participate. Police and military forces will deploy vehicles and human resources to assist with clearing mud and trash, and remediating environmental pollution. Furthermore, HEPCO and Hang Trung Co., Ltd., will arrange their entire workforce and vehicles to increase the capacity for trash collection and transportation, ensuring cleanliness and preventing prolonged pollution.
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Photos: Bach Chau