Mr. Nguyen Van Tin, a sanitation worker, shared that he will work throughout Tet, without a day off.
The workload during Tet is huge, especially on Nguyen Hue walking street, where many people gather to have fun, making him and his colleagues work very hard. For the past 4 years, Mr. Tin has been on duty to clean up trash and celebrate Tet on the street.
“I also hope to celebrate Tet with my relatives and return home, but because of work, I have to put it aside. It has been 4 years since I have been back to Can Tho for Tet. Being away from home also makes me miss home and the moments of reunion with my family, but because of life, I have to accept it,” Mr. Tin confided.
He added that the amount of garbage on the walking street is very large, especially on New Year's Eve, so they have to increase the number of people cleaning up all night to be able to handle it all. With a salary of 7-8 million VND per month, Mr. Tin saves money to buy necessities for his family during Tet.
Mr. Tran Quang Khanh, a public service worker in District 3, has been working as a street sweeper and cleaner for 9 years.
Mr. Khanh said that at the end of each year, especially near Tet, the amount of garbage produced is 2-3 times more than usual, making the job extremely difficult. Sweeping up the scattered fireworks on the streets is the hardest. Mr. Khanh works until late at night before returning home.
“On New Year’s Eve, I have to work until the next morning before going home. There is no New Year’s Eve moment when I can be with my family, because of work. I feel happy because the streets are clean so people can enjoy Tet,” Khanh shared.
The sincere sharing of Mr. Tin and Mr. Khanh partly expressed the hardship of sanitation workers in the last days of the year. They silently and significantly contribute to maintaining the city's environmental sanitation, so that everyone can have a clean and beautiful Tet.
Speaking at a ceremony to launch the environmental sanitation campaign on January 20, Mr. Nguyen Toan Thang, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, informed about the city's achievements in environmental protection in 2024, with 157 polluted spots cleared, of which 153 spots were transformed into parks, flower gardens, and community activity areas.
In addition, large projects on converting waste treatment technology are also being strongly implemented, such as the Tam Sinh Nghia waste-to-energy plant project and the Vietstar Joint Stock Company project.
Mr. Thang added that every day, Ho Chi Minh City generates 9,800-10,500 tons of household waste, all of which are swept, collected, transported and treated according to regulations, ensuring environmental hygiene and waste security.
According to the report of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City currently has about 3,000 street sweepers, 6,500 workers collecting waste at source, 1,200 workers transporting waste and hundreds of workers collecting waste on canals and processing household waste. They contribute day and night to maintaining the quality of environmental sanitation for the city.
