Click here for Lao version/ຄລິກບ່ອນນີ້ເພື່ອອ່ານພາສາລາວ
Lao authorities admit concerns about trash disposal during the 25th SEA Games which Laos will host in Vientiane from December 09 to 18, as the city is currently able to dispose of only 60% of its total daily trash.
High ranking officials of the Municipal Management and Development recently admitted that trash disposal is one of issues of most concerns for them during the SEA Games period, which will start a month from now.These authorities foresee that their city will face trash disposal problems as currently Vientiane can dispose only 60% or about 180 tons of the roughly 300 tons that the city produces each day. This is due mainly to the lack of trash sorting or categorization.
The remaining 120 tons have often been illicitly thrown or discarded to public areas such as streams, canals and marshes, which negatively impact on the environment.
However, authorities expect that Vientiane residents will be cooperative with the government in separating recycle-able trash from other type of trash, so that recycled trashes can be brought back to use. A high ranking official of the Municipal Management and Development believes that will help solve the problem of the remaining 120 tons of trash that the city cannot get rid of.
Moreover, Vientiane is also increasingly facing environmental problems stemming from the wastewater discharged from residents’ households to the That Luang Marsh. According to the Vientiane Science, Technology and Environment Service, more than 270,000 people in the city have recently released wastewater from their households to this wet land area without treatment, despite the fact that That Luang Marsh is a reservoir for most water flowing from areas in the capital and plays an important role in preventing flood, while also serving as fishing areas for local people.
