Background
On 20 March 2023, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) presided over the handover and official inauguration of a new landfill site for Battambang municipality. The event was chaired by Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works and Transport, with participation from the Battambang Provincial Governor, representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), ministry leadership, technical project staff and local stakeholders.
The landfill forms part of the Second Phase of the Urban Environmental Management Improvement Project around the Tonle Sap Lake, financed through an ADB credit facility. The project aims to support sanitation and environmental management improvements in Battambang province.
Scope of Application
The landfill is located in Paoy Svay village, Ta Kream commune, Banan district, Battambang province. The total project area covers 20.80 hectares.
In the initial operational phase, the first landfill cell (Cell 1) with an area of 2.94 hectares is planned to be used. This cell has a design capacity of 313,703 cubic meters of waste, intended for a ten-year period from 2022 to 2032.
The facility is planned to serve residents of Battambang municipality and nearby districts, with an expected service coverage of approximately 60 percent of the local population, or about 126,000 people, who will receive sanitation and environmental services from this landfill site.
Key Provisions or Decisions
At the ceremony, MPWT formally handed over the completed landfill infrastructure to the Battambang provincial authorities and officially put the facility into operation. The landfill was constructed as an engineered disposal site under the ADB-financed urban environmental management improvement project around the Tonle Sap Lake (Phase 2).
The construction works covered:
- Access road to the landfill
- Engineered waste disposal cell (landfill pit)
- Leachate or treatment pit
- Administration building
- Staff accommodation building
- Waste segregation building
- Utility and supply building
- Hazardous waste storage building
- Guard post
- Workshop
- Parking area for vehicles
- Vehicle washing area
- Weighbridge station for trucks
- Electrical network
- Perimeter fencing and tree planting
The construction budget amounted to USD 6,283,747, financed under the ADB credit for the Second Phase of the Urban Environmental Management Improvement Project around the Tonle Sap Lake.
The construction period was 12 months. The works contractor was Heng Sombat Aharon Niharon Transport and Construction Company. Technical supervision was carried out by RAMBOLL DANMARK A/S in cooperation with Oriental Consultant Global Co., Ltd., SCE and Tancons (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
The inauguration and handover of the Battambang landfill establishes a dedicated, engineered waste disposal facility for Battambang municipality and surrounding areas. Municipal service providers and local authorities will be able to channel solid waste to this site, supporting more structured urban environmental and sanitation services.
For local businesses and service operators in waste collection and transport, the facility provides a defined disposal location with supporting infrastructure such as access roads, weighing facilities and vehicle washing arrangements. The project also reflects the use of concessional external financing for urban environmental infrastructure, which may inform future infrastructure planning and coordination with development partners.
Official Source
The information in this article is based on an official announcement published by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) on its verified Facebook page on 20 March 2023.
