Because of its beauty, cleanliness, and comfort, the Ministry of Environment has designated Siem Reap province’s Banteay Srei district as a model worthy of imitation by others.
The district administration has tried to put in place procedures to eliminate trash. Each village chief in the district is expected to regularly urge their people to collect any garbage discovered in public locations.
Banteay Srei people praised
The ministry recently praised Banteay Srei people for the valuable service by employing appropriate environmental sanitation techniques.
According to the ministry, they have made their towns and communities more beautiful, clean, and pleasant to live in and more appealing to tourists.
Preah Dak hamlet was rated as ideal in terms of living conditions, garbage disposal, and infrastructure upkeep within the district.
Khim Finan, the district governor of Banteay Srei, aspires to develop the district’s other villages along the same lines as Preah Dak.
"We aim to establish sustainable long-term solutions that the villages can apply on an ongoing basis without much outside assistance," Finan adds in an interview with The Post. But, to succeed, the job must be done at the village level by the people who live there."
Finan asked all village heads in Banteay Srei district to spend at least one day each month personally picking trash in public locations to set a good example.
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Residents are likewise responsible for properly disposing of their garbage.
"The present objective is to ensure that each community can manage and accept responsibility for their waste, while the district administration serves as a coordinator, controller, and motivator. "It benefits the entire community to clean up trash,".
The government of the Banteay Srei district has declared that the 36 villages other than Preah Dak would compete for the title of cleanest village.
Instead, the people of Preah Dak hamlet will compete for the distinction of cleanest dwelling. To promote citizens’ efforts, the winners of both competitions will receive prizes.
"Right now, the villages are completely on board with the clean-up plans, and we want to keep up the additional effort. Normally, all the villagers would be expected to do is properly dispose of their garbage once a month."
Banteay Srei village properly cleaned to high standards
He claims that Banteay Srei village and five other villages in Preah Dak commune would be repaired and properly cleaned to the same high standards as Preah Dak village early this year.
Finan is concerned that a more persistent issue may be altering people’s attitudes and behaviours about how they deal with their trash in the long run, so organized clean-up initiatives like this one do not need to be done as regularly.
According to Khnar village head In Seang, the true objective for his community is to enhance local economic growth, and the Khnar inhabitants are resolute and hopeful that their village would triumph over the other villages.
He claims that each village confronts difficulties with employment and work skills. In addition, the communities all lack the budgetary resources needed to engage in development plans properly.
At the same time, he admits that having the people actively participate in developing their community was vital.
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A good example for the folks
"I strive to set a good example for the folks here. For example, I'm attempting to persuade people to use larger sacks and containers to handle their household waste rather than leaving it free in mounds or using a huge number of smaller bags. I also ask my locals to go out in groups and gather trash."
Although Seang’s hamlet isn’t nearly as stunning as Preah Dak yet, he believes the clean-up efforts have made an impact so far. The awareness campaign is also working – he has seen a decrease in the quantity of fresh garbage thrown in public places.
He also observes that people are paying more attention to detail in the upkeep of village infrastructures such as houses, gardens, and flower beds.
Sun Hoeurn, a 33-year-old handicraft seller in Preah Dak village who sells her products besides the roadside, tells The Post that the community is now tidy and organized.
She adds that tourists passing through the town are considerably more inclined to stop and look at her and the other sellers’ products since the hamlet feels more friendly to them, when previously they wouldn’t want to remain long enough to do any buying.
"We are grateful to the [district officials] for renovating our community. They swept the streets and even built lovely flower beds around our homes. In addition, when there is a festival, a large number of people come to the region. "They come to eat noodles and purchase this and that from us".
She claims that the good changes in the community did not occur overnight but rather as a consequence of a shift in their mindsets that took time. She believes that effective leadership is also essential.
A model villager
Trob makes every effort to be a model villager now that she lives in one. She hopes that other people around the country will follow Preah Dak village’s example and begin altering their views to establish beautiful communities in which they can take pride.
"Nice clean residences give their owners a nice reputation, and [once the houses are all cleaned up], the villages, communes, and districts gain a good reputation as well. Then, when international groups or tourists arrive, they laid them, and their reputation rises even further.
But it all starts with making your house a model by [doing little things like] cleaning and putting flowers."
