 |
Wastewater is discharged into the 1,700m Ba Bo Canal in HCM City. All riparian provinces have to act together to save the Dong Nai River from excessive pollution. — VNA/VNS Phuong Vy |
HCM CITY — All riparian provinces have to act together to save the Dong Nai River from excessive pollution, HCM City leaders said last Saturday.
Their plea came as concerned agencies reported rising levels of pollution in the river despite improvements effected by some localities.
All the 14 export processing zones (EPZs) and industrial parks (IPs) in HCM City have installed their own central waste water treatment system following the city's exhortation to protect water resources in the Dong Nai river basin.
But a solo effort by the city is not enough to help reduce pollution, stressed Le Hoang Quan, chairman of the city People's Committee.
He called on neighbouring Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau to join the city in efforts to protect the water environment in the area.
"Protecting the Dong Nai River is vital since it is the main water resource for 11 [southern] provinces, including HCM City," Quan said.
"But if HCM City acts individually, it will not be effective because the city lies on the lower part of the river."
In addition to a campaign launched among EPZs and IPs, HCM City has also stopped operations or relocated 1,400 potentially polluting factories and facilities out of residential and vulnerable water resource areas.
"Many projects to improve polluted canals like Ba Bo, Nhieu Loc Thi Nghe, Tan Hoa and Lo Gom are being carried out urgently," Quan said.
Nguyen Van Phuoc, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said the city has completed a system to measure water quality in rivers and canals in many districts, and conducts regular checks on direct discharge of wastewater into the environment.
The system helps HCM City monitor industrial effluents released into canals in the districts of 4,7,9,12, Go Vap and Binh Thanh; as well as in the outlying districts of Cu Chi, Hoc Mon and Nha Be, Phuoc said.
Samples tested in 2009 showed some improvement in the pollution situation, said Nguyen Minh Hoang, director of the city's Environment Protection Division. He said the amount of contaminants in canal water has dropped sharply, but warned of pollution from emerging industrial areas.
Hoang also noted that pollution caused by organic substances was still high.
Tran Nguyen Hien, an official of the environment department, explained that household wastewater from almost all the residential areas in the city was not treated before being released into the canals.
Only two out of five central treatment plants for household wastewater have been put into use – Nuoc Den and Binh Hung – with a total capacity of 200,000 cubic metres a day. Others are under construction, Hien said.
Stronger protections
Bui Cach Tuyen, director of the General Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said the Dong Nai River Committee (set up in 2008 to deal with all environmental protection activities related to the basin) should be further strengthened.
The committee comprises 12 localities including HCM City, Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Long An, Binh Thuan and Lam Dong.
Tuyen said his department plans to propose the formation of a national agency chaired by a deputy prime minister to oversee management of all rivers in the country.
The department also plans tighter management of industries with hazardous waste and high content of organic substances like rubber or cassava starch, he said.
Currently, Ba Ria – Vung Tau has identified 10 sectors that it has banned from establishment on the banks of the Thi Vai River, which belongs to the Dong Nai river basin. These include rubber and cassava processing, fertilizer, paint and pesticide production. — VNS
