Garbage reappears outside Ho Chi Minh City's T3 Terminal despite clean-up efforts

Despite previous efforts to clear the site and restore order, trash has reappeared, with large styrofoam boxes and garbage bags now scattered around the terminal’s entrance, repeating the same unsightly scene.

Along the area where cars park, discarded items such as used face masks, styrofoam containers, plastic straws, and paper scraps littered the ground.

Dirty stagnant water had also accumulated, forming moss and emitting unpleasant odors, posing a slipping hazard to pedestrians.

Previously, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper had reported on a large garbage pile at this same location, which emitted foul odors and caused pollution. 

Nearby, an unauthorized dumpsite near a car parking lot had been filled with garbage bags, styrofoam, and construction debris.

Following the report, the Southern Airports Authority issued a written request to the People’s Committees of Tan Binh Ward and Tan Son Hoa Ward, urging a prompt clean-up of the area in front of the terminal.

Garbage was subsequently cleared, and a spontaneous dumpsite 100 meters away was fenced off and equipped with signs prohibiting littering.

Van Hieu, a 42-year-old passer-by, noted that just days earlier, he had seen sanitation workers cleaning the street. However, shortly after, garbage bags began to reappear.

He speculated that nearby residents might be dumping trash secretly, though he was unsure why the area in front of the terminal exit was being targeted.

Nguyen Thi Phuong, chairwoman of the Tan Binh Ward People’s Committee, told Tuoi Tre that the road connecting Cong Hoa and Tran Quoc Hoan Streets was built on land originally designated for national defense. 

Although the road has been in use since April 19, it has yet to be officially handed over to local authorities.

Tan Binh and Tan Son Nhat Wards have submitted documents to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee requesting the road be added to the city’s street cleaning and maintenance schedule and handed over to the appropriate management unit as soon as possible.

Do Thi Ngoc Lan, chairwoman of the Bay Hien Ward People’s Committee, said that on August 27, a meeting was held with representatives from Tan Binh, Tan Son Nhat Wards, the Transportation Works Construction Investment Project Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City, and Division 370 to push for early handover of the road.

In the meantime, Bay Hien Ward has launched public awareness campaigns to discourage residents from littering the area. 

The ward is also cracking down on illegal street vending that obstructs traffic.

Despite these efforts, many readers have expressed frustration and urged that the handover be expedited.

They argued that sanitation in the area must be maintained regularly and that littering should be penalized, as the trash not only pollutes the environment and ruins the cityscape but also degrades the image of Ho Chi Minh City’s gateway.

Meanwhile, Hoang Hoa Tham Street, the main access road to T3 Terminal, was expanded and upgraded earlier this year.

Yet, the sidewalk on the right side of the street heading from Cong Hoa Street toward T3 Terminal has not been paved. 

While the left sidewalk is neatly tiled, the right side remains a dusty, garbage-strewn stretch.

Despite multiple clean-ups, garbage continues to pile up on this unpaved section.

Additionally, food vendors have taken over parts of the roadway, narrowing the driving space.

“I don’t understand why this road was expanded and beautified, but only one side of the sidewalk was finished. The other side is just dirt and trash. It’s very unsightly,” said Thu Trang, a resident of Bay Hien Ward.

“As soon as you leave the terminal and head toward Hoang Hoa Tham Street, you see this mess. It’s really disheartening.”