Under the hot summer sun, the Hanoi Green group and young people waded down to the ditch in Dai Thanh commune, Hanoi City to clean up garbage and clear the flow. Amidst the stench from the black water, the blue shirts diligently collected nylon bags and household garbage covered in mud. Heavy bags of garbage were brought ashore, showing the spirit of dedication and responsibility of young people to the environment.
While quickly waving his hands and smiling and chatting, Mr. Nguyen Tien Huy - Head of Hanoi Green Group - shared that the group's journey is not a time-based campaign but a persistent battle against the pollution of the urban river system for more than 3 years. Since its establishment, the group has conducted hundreds of campaigns at pollution black spots throughout the Capital.
Since the beginning of 2026, members have regularly maintained about 25 garbage collection sessions in many key river and ditch areas. This persistence has turned the weekend holidays of hundreds of volunteers into meaningful community service sessions, contributing to restoring ventilation to the flows surrounded by garbage.
Each garbage bag brought ashore is the result of consensus and tireless dedication. This journey is not just about cleaning a section of ditch or a section of river, but a persistent effort to awaken the flows that have been killed by domestic waste accumulated for a long time.
After about 4 hours, the ditch full of garbage was significantly cleaned up. Do Van Xuyen, a member who has been with the group for 2 years, said that under the mud layer there are many dangerous objects such as glass shards, ceramic shards, and even needles. Therefore, the members always prepare full protective gear before going into the water. The solid garbage patches for a long time make the work not only heavy but also a challenge to the will of young people.
Not only operating at the scene, this group of young people also strongly spread the spirit of environmental protection through social networking platforms. The group's short videos recording the difficult cleaning process have attracted millions of views, making an important contribution to awakening the sense of responsibility of the surrounding community. Many people living around the area initially just stood and watched with curiosity, but when they witnessed the sweat and dedication of the group, they became more aware of the role of maintaining the hygiene of canals and ditches where they live. Each garbage collection session, therefore, not only cleans up the physical space but also sows seeds for new perceptions about preserving the green, clean, and beautiful Capital landscape.
The fight against river pollution in Hanoi is still a long journey with many challenges. But with the consensus of charity groups like Hanoi Xanh, it has breathed a new breeze into environmental protection work, creating an important premise for local mass organizations to drastically participate in handling pollution black spots.
