Garbage remains piled up on several streets in Da Lat despite increased clean-up efforts by waste collection crews. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre
The backlog built up during a two-day shutdown of the Da Lat Solid Waste Treatment Plant caused by restrictions placed on the plant operator’s bank account.
Da Lat Urban Service JSC on Monday continued deploying trucks and workers to transport nearly 1,000 tonnes of accumulated waste from the city center to treatment facilities.
The same day, the Lam Dong administration said it had directed authorities to resolve the garbage build-up in Da Lat.
The provincial government ordered Da Lat Urban Service JSC to urgently transport all accumulated waste after the plant resumed accepting garbage and instructed provincial police to consider allowing garbage collection and transport vehicles to use weight-restricted roads during daytime hours to accelerate the clean-up.
Workers wait for garbage trucks to transport waste to treatment facilities in the Da Lat area of Lam Dong Province, Vietnam. Photo: M.H. / Tuoi Tre
At 6:00 pm on June 12, Green Energy Environment Company, the investor and operator of the Da Lat Solid Waste Treatment Plant, suspended garbage intake, leaving dozens of collection trucks waiting outside the facility.
Within just two days, many collection points became overloaded, with bags of garbage piling up along sidewalks, affecting the environment and Da Lat’s tourism image during a peak travel period.
Immediately after the plant resumed accepting waste on Sunday afternoon, Da Lat Urban Service JSC mobilized 16 specialized trucks and about 200 workers to clear the accumulated garbage.
Clean-up efforts were prioritized in central Xuan Huong–Da Lat Ward, including Da Lat Market and major streets such as Phan Boi Chau, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Bui Thi Xuan, Tran Phu, and Le Hong Phong.
Crews later expanded operations to other areas.
Tran Thi Vu Loan, chairwoman of the Xuan Huong–Da Lat Ward administration, and Tran Hung Son, chairman of the Xuan Truong Ward administration, met with leaders of the Da Lat Solid Waste Treatment Plant to persuade them to reopen the plant and accept the accumulated waste.
According to Loan, representatives of central wards in the Da Lat area continued working with plant management on Monday to address outstanding issues and prevent future disruptions in waste acceptance.
According to a notice issued by Green Energy Environment Company on June 12, the company suspended garbage intake because its bank account had been placed under debit restrictions.
Due to the account restrictions, the company said it could not make payments necessary for plant operations, including fuel purchases and equipment repairs. As a result, it was forced to temporarily suspend operations.
Since the afternoon of June 14, 2026, garbage trucks have been operating continuously to remove waste from central Da Lat. Photo: M.V. / Tuoi Tre
Green Energy Environment Company is currently subject to multiple court judgments and enforcement decisions. To ensure compliance, Lam Dong civil judgment enforcement authorities have been processing assets owned by the company.
A leader of Da Lat Urban Service JSC said the company had to borrow from banks to pay employee salaries and purchase fuel.
The company has yet to receive payment for garbage collection and transportation services provided during the second half of 2025, from July 1 to December 31, from the Da Lat Area Construction Investment Project Management Board.
In response, the Lam Dong Department of Finance said it would work with relevant agencies to seek solutions to difficulties involving waste collection, transportation, and urban tree maintenance.
The Lam Dong administration has instructed ward-level authorities in the Da Lat area to strengthen inspections and supervision of garbage collection, transportation, and treatment activities, while continuing to monitor operations at the waste treatment plant.
For proposals concerning waste treatment pricing, the province assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate with the Department of Finance and submit recommendations before June 20.
Lam Dong Civil Judgment Enforcement authorities have since withdrawn the document imposing debit restrictions on Green Energy Environment Company’s bank account, allowing the company to make payments and purchase fuel needed to process waste.
The 28-hectare Da Lat Solid Waste Treatment Plant began operations in 2015 and has an average daily processing capacity of about 350-370 tonnes of waste.
In June 2024, the plant suspended garbage intake after the former Da Lat administration failed to pay waste treatment fees beginning in April 2024.
In early 2025, the investor announced a plan to suspend plant operations from 6:00 pm on January 3, 2025, but later withdrew the notice after receiving an advance payment.
Thanh Ha – M.V. / Tuoi Tre News
