Vietnamese Tackles Environmental Hazards At "Car Village"

VINH PHUC, VIETNAM - JUNE 6: An worker tears apart a truck at Hao Hoa truck scrapyard on the main road of Te Lo village on June 6, 2018 in Te Lo Village, Yen Lac District, Vinh Phuc Province, Vietnam. Vietnam has reportedly over 100,000 motor vehicles that are too old to be on the roads as many owners have taken an interest in recent years to make a profit from their used vehicles by rebuilding or recycling their old motor cars or motorbikes. In northern Vinh Phuc province, approximately 60km from Hanoi, Te Lo "car village" has around 400 recycling yards for used motor vehicles where they dissect old cars and motorbikes, and sell the scrap metal, spare parts, and broken batteries for their livelihood. Since 1995, residents at Te Lo have seen a profit in this car business but face environmental hazards as the village produces 2-3 tons of rust daily while the waste oil from machineries flow down their canals and into the soil. According to local reports, over half of the population in Te Lo suffers from respiratory or digestive diseases, while many have died from cancer in recent years and further tests have shown that the pollution found in water samples have gone beyond safety limits. Over 1,000 households in Te Lo are involved in the scrap business and the area is now considered to be an industrial zone, but as the production and Vietnam's economy continues to grow, it is hard for anyone in the village to guarantee the safety of their environment and health of the residents in the long run. (Photo by Linh Pham/Getty Images)