Part of the Cau Giay Park has been used as a dump site for construction waste for the last four years. – Photo baoxaydung.com.

Residents said trucks loaded with garbage have been dumping construction waste in the 60-hectare area since 2011. The land is supposed to become part of Cau Giay Park when the project is finished.

"The district ordered local authorities to patrol and monitor the slot for illegal dumping of construction waste, but it was difficult to do due to lack of manpower," said Duong Cao Thanh, chairman of the Cau Giay People's Committee.

Residents still own some of the land, because the city hasn't finished paying out land compensation. This makes patrolling the area complicated, said Nguyen Truong Son, vice chairman of the Nam Tu Lien People's Committee.

Local residents said a gang of thugs used to run the illegal dumping operation. The gang even set up checkpoints to supervise trucks coming and going, and prohibit outsiders from breaking in. City authorities have since shut down the thugs' operations, and they haven't been seen since.

Nguyen Quoc Hung, vice chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee, visited the site last week and ordered local authorities and agencies to stop the illegal dumping immediately and start clearing the ground. Hung ordered the Ha Noi Department of Transport's inspectors to increase patrols, and take away drivers' licences and temporarily confiscate trucks if they were found dumping waste.

The Ha Noi People's Committee also requested that the city police further investigate the gang running the dump site. The city ordered local authorities and police to report the results of their investigations by the month's end.