The Phnom Penh Municipal Hall called on city dwellers not to dump rubbish on the streets during the Khmer New Year holiday when Cintri, the company outsourced to manage the capital’s waste, partially stops their operations between April 14 and 17.

In a written statement, the municipal hall said on Wednesday that the majority of Cintri’s rubbish collectors would return to their hometown to celebrate the new year with their family.

During the holiday, it said, waste management services including collecting and transporting rubbish in the capital would not function normally.

“In order to preserve the beauty, sanitation and environment in the city, the municipal hall advises all Phnom Penh residents to compromise, given the circumstances."

“Please refrain from dumping rubbish on the streets during this period because waste management [services] will not function at full capacity. Each household must keep their waste to themselves on a temporary basis,” the statement read.

Phnom Penh Municipal Hall spokesman Met Meas Pheakdey reiterated that rubbish collectors will go on leave but the waste management activities would not be halted completely.

“Do not dump rubbish on the streets and wait until the period is over when the collectors will return to work as normal and be able to resume collection and shipping of waste to the dumping site,” he said.

He added that although the majority of rubbish collectors would be away, the amount of uncollected waste would not spiral out of control because a large number of city dwellers would also travel to other places.

Pheakdey said he is unable to provide a figure for the total amount of rubbish that would pile up during the Khmer New Year period.

“If residents keep their rubbish inside their homes, the waste would not accumulate. To urge them not to dump their household waste on the streets is why we are issuing this statement,” he said.