Rangers rounding up rubbish in S Reap parks
AT LEAST six tonnes of rubbish is collected and transported to an incinerator every week by park rangers in Siem Reap province, according to the Siem Reap provincial Department of Environment.
Department director Sun Kong told The Post on March 20 that waste collection is one of the Ministry of Environment’s pillar policies on environmental protection. Recently, the government introduced environmental hygiene by rubbish collection as the sixth point of its “safe village-commune” policy.
He said rangers transport rubbish from nine villages in Svay Leu district’s Khnong Phnom commune, which is a location rich in natural tourism areas in the JayavarmanNorodom Phnom Kulen National Park.
The ministry provided the incinerator to the commune in 2018, but it was poorly managed and effective waste management did not take place immediately. The department motivated all stakeholders to clean out the rubbish that had accumulated in the forest over the years, and in 2019 more than 100 tonnes was incinerated, he said.
In 2020, the department received a three-wheeled vehicle from the ministry to use for collecting rubbish, but it was later damaged. In mid2021, it was replaced, and now the rangers transport waste for disposal three or four times a week.
“This park is a tourist destination and a sacred area to many religions, so the efforts of the environment minister who provided the vehicle have contributed to the promotion of ecotourism in Siem Reap,” he said.
He added that a department working group instructed the public to pack their rubbish in advance of the rangers’ collection times, and the people in the villages were doing so.
“People are participating. They bag their rubbish and put it in our truck as it passes their homes. We do not have a pick-up service – we only transport the rubbish to the incinerator,” he said.
He said that in the future, the department may hand over operations to commune authorities, who would charge transport fees from the public, but only after consulting with locals.
“The fee may between 5,000 and 15,000 riel [$1.25 and $3.75], depending on the amount of rubbish each household produces. They will still need to ensure the waste is well packed, and put it on the truck,” he said.
Khnong Phnom commune chief Chhoeum Taing told The Post on March 20 that authorities were working to raise awareness and were asking people to pay nominal service fees to support the operation, as commune authorities did not have funds for sustaining the waste collection.
He said most members of the public were very supportive of the plan.
“We are advocating for people to agree to some fees, but the fees will only be used for vehicle repairs, fuel costs and to pay a driver. I hope the plan is widely accepted,” he added.
Soeum Narin, a resident of Khnong Phnom commune’s Anlong Thom village, said the future waste service was a good project.
“I am willing to give some money to help the authorities to maintain the rubbish truck, because I don’t believe we should expect the environment department to help us forever. Those of us who can afford it should contribute to improving our village. If we have some resources, we should contribute to help our village to be better. Of course, we will still sort our own garbage and put it in the truck!” he said.