Phnom Penh Municipal Hall called on games’ visitors to dispose of their garbage correctly, noting that it has installing more than 600 bins along Win-Win Boulevard and near stadiums for the convenience of the public.
Municipal Hall spokesman Met Meas Pheakdey told The Post on May 2 that the entire Phnom Penh administration has been preparing for the event.
“The work we have done includes infrastructure construction and maintenance, along with additional decorations. As public hygiene is also important to us, we have placed an additional 600 to 700 trash bins,” he said.
According to Pheakdey, the administration has installed about 500 bins along Win-Win Boulevard in preparation for the historic event. It has also placed 100 bins at the National Olympic Stadium and nearly 100 bins at the Army Stadium (Old Stadium).
He called on attendees to make use of the new facilities, saying that it would facilitate maintaining a clean environment in the capital.
“We want to change people’s behaviour and encourage them to dispose off their trash thoughtfully. With the participation of the public, we will maintain the prestige of the Kingdom, as hosts. Putting garbage in a bin shows good character, and we want it to become a habit,” he said.
Nou Sovann, executive director of River Ocean Cleanup (ROC) organization, said the public are improving when it comes to being mindful about littering, but there are still some people who pay no mind to the issue.
He believed that adding more bins is an excellent strategy, but cautioned that without education, some people would not understand the importance of sanitation.
He suggested that the authorities impose strict fines on those who improperly dispose of garbage to show that Cambodia does not allow people to pollute the environment.
“If there are no strict measures, some opportunists will still continue to do it,” he said.
“Because we are the hosts, I think the government should use this opportunity to tighten law enforcement on urban waste management. People who litter should be punished. After all, if they dare to pollute the environment in the central of the capital, they will dare to do so in other places,” he added.
