The “green” and then “blooming” streets have not only changed the appearance of Ha Dong District but also become the place of entertainment and community activities. This success is also evidence of the shift from awareness to action in the maintenance of environmental sanitation in the current period.
Yet Kieu Ward Women’s Association members are taking care of the blooming streets
Yieu Kieu ward is the pioneer in carrying out the campaign to build the “blooming” streets in the district. Vice chairman of Yet Kieu ward People’s Committee Pham Quang Thien said, “In the past, due to the lack of propaganda, people awareness of public hygiene was limited. Many people just cared about cleaning their houses while keeping the street hygiene and building streetscape is the responsibility of the government and the environmental sanitation workers. Some people also often threw rubbish into the streets. Even some did not put their garbage in front of their houses but brought it to the public land or the next-door.
Conducting the campaign “all people join hands to build a cultural life” in the residential area, Yet Kieu ward agreed to choose to keep public environmental sanitation as the main theme. Accordingly, 100% of households living and trading in the area have committed to throwing garbage on time, at the right place, and not littering on the streets. Through the photos provided by the people, cases of littering indiscriminately will be fined. After three fines and warnings on the broadcasting system, these households will not be qualified to be cultural families.
However, the implementation of the movement has confronted difficulties. According to Yet Kieu ward residents, there is often the largest amount of waste from 18:30 to 19:30 in the day, which could, if left overnight, cause the uncomfortable smell, hence, many families do not want to store garbage in the houses. Meanwhile, environmental sanitation enterprises often collect waste before such time, so people do not know how to handle the amount of waste generated. To address this matter, the ward has actively proposed Ha Dong district and environmental sanitation enterprises to adjust the time frame in line with the actual daily activities of the people.
In addition to keeping the streets from waste, the Women’s Association, the Youth Union and the Veterans Association also undertake the task of encouraging people to remove the “black spots” of waste, to build green, clean and beautiful streets. Chairman of Yet Kieu Bach Women’s Association Hong Thu Thuy shared, “It was a tough task in the early days of having people build civilized and blooming streets. However, thanks to patience and endurance, now 100% of the ward women’s association members have volunteered to build a “blooming street” model.
The campaign focuses on three tasks: Each family plants and takes care of at least one flower pot or ornamental plant; every day cleans up the road in front of their house; reminds members of the family and neighbourhood not to litter on the road, etc. After 3 months of the campaign, the land adjacent to Nhue River has been covered with trees and flower pots. Green trees together with floral aroma have reduced the harsh atmosphere of the weather and the smell of sewage in Nhue River, becoming the community gathering place of people in the hot days.
Ha Dong looks more and more civilized and modern.
Evaluating the “all people join hands to build a cultural life” movement, with the focus on calling for people to keep the streets clean, green and beautiful, Vice Chairman of Yet Kieu Ward People’s Committee Pham Quang Thien emphasized, “The biggest success of the movement is the positive change in people awareness. This is also the foundation for the urban civilized lifestyle, consolidating the solidarity among the people in the residential area. Yet, streets are not really nine because of inconsistent trees and flowers with the planning. Therefore, to improve the quality of the “blooming streets”, in the coming time, the ward will invest in paving the sidewalks, building flower beds according to the design to ensure traffic safety and urban beauty. After that, the ward will transfer the streets to the residential groups for caring and protecting the works.
Sharing the way of Yet Kieu ward, other wards in Ha Dong district also registered to build civilized and blooming streets and improve the ponds in the area. The district has built 236 green, clean and beautiful streets, such as Quang Lam Street (Phu Lam Ward), To Hieu Street (Ha Cau Ward), Tran Dang Ninh Street (Quang Trung Ward), etc. In addition to building green, clean and beautiful streets, youth union members, women and veterans of the wards have removed 14 “black spots” of domestic waste.
However, the most concern of the people in such wards as Yet Kieu and Van Quan etc. is that many flower gardens and median strips in the area have not been maintained properly for many months, causing the plants growing so dense. Hence, governments and authorities should take timely solutions for the “black spots” of the environment in these locations for Ha Dong to have more blooming streets.
Kim Nhue