Hygiene in Dangkor

Residents in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district yesterday complained to local officials about poor hygiene in the area, which they claim is caused by thousands of flies drawn to the area by the nearby rubbish dump.

Villager Vit Chea, who lives near the dump in Chhoeung Ek commune, said “countless” flies had infested her confectionary-selling business.

“If we eat rice, we use one arm to fan the flies away or they will rest on our food and we cannot eat it,” she said.

But Sao Kunchhon, director of the Phnom Penh water management department, said authorities had sprayed pesticide at the dump, and that there were minimal flies.

“Spraying is effective for three months, so flies cannot stay at the dump,” he said.