Oduor
Sang Ly states, “It may sound disgusting, but in a place of swirling odors, we hardly notice. Frankly, cleaning up his (Nisay) mess is the least of our problems.” A distinct and unpleasant odor, which is attributed to the decomposing rubbish, is ubiquitous at Stung Meanchey. The inhabitants are accustomed to the odor (which is a fragment of the air); hence, it does not trouble them.
Shacks
Sang Ly elucidates, “It (their shack) sits atop a small mound at the dump’s north eastern perimeter, slightly elevated above the shacks that lie distant on each side.” The shacks are emblematic of poverty for they are defectively fabricated. Inhabitants cannot afford to erect decent houses.
Fire
Sang Ly notes, “There is both smoke and fire because as the mountains of garbage around us decompose, they form and trap methane gas. Beneath the weight of the piles, the temperatures rise until the gas ignites and burns. Stung Meanchey is literally always on fire, and it is almost impossible to put out the flames.” Fire is predominant at Stung Meanchey due to the continuous disposal and build-up of rubbish there. The fires are robust and voluminous based on the trouble of snuffing them.
