For more than a year, dozens of households in Son Thuong Hamlet, Dak Gan Commune, Dak Mil District (Dak Nong Province) have been struggling to “live with” the smoke, dust, and pollution coming from the coffee-drying kiln of Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Quang’s family. Even more concerning, less than 50 meters away from the kiln is Hoa PLang Kindergarten, where nearly 100 children study.
Despite repeated petitions from local residents to the kiln owner and to the authorities, the situation remains unresolved.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Chairman of the Dak Gan Commune People’s Committee, told us: “After receiving the residents’ complaints, the commune worked with the District Department of Natural Resources and Environment to inspect and address the pollution caused by Mr. Quang’s coffee-drying kiln. Thanks to this, although the kiln still operates as usual, it has reduced the release of smoke and dust into the environment and is no longer affecting the surrounding community.” (?)
However, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh, Deputy Head of the Dak Mil District Department of Natural Resources and Environment, stated: “Upon inspection, we found that Mr. Quang’s coffee-drying kiln was indeed causing environmental pollution. We issued an official report and recommended that the Dak Mil District People’s Committee impose an administrative fine. We also required Mr. Quang’s family to install a chimney and build dust-blocking walls around the kiln to mitigate the pollution. However, to this day the family has not complied, citing a lack of funds.”
Local residents urge the Dak Mil District authorities and relevant agencies to quickly resolve the pollution issue to ensure the well-being of the community.