Need to promptly and completely handle pollution in Rao Dung sewer
(Baonghean) - Recently, environmental pollution at Rao Dung culvert, Nghi Thai commune (Nghi Loc district) has seriously affected people's lives.
Polluted water sources
Located just a few hundred meters away from Rao Dung culvert, some shrimp farming areas of households in Nghi Thai commune, Nghi Loc district have been struggling in recent years due to unusual shrimp deaths. Recently, nearly 0.5 hectares of shrimp farming area of Mr. Vuong Duc Hoe's family in Thai Binh hamlet, Nghi Thai commune (Nghi Loc) died after just 20 days of release.
Looking at the dead shrimp, Mr. Hoe could not help but feel sorry. Normally, he is present at the shrimp pond every day, turning on the oxygen pump, but for the past few days, the shrimps still float dead, unable to be picked up. With nearly 10 years of experience in shrimp farming, Mr. Hoe said that in recent years, every year there has been such an unusual phenomenon of shrimp deaths.
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| Shrimp farming area in Nghi Thai commune (Nghi Loc) is affected by polluted water sources. In the photo: Nghi Thai commune officials check shrimp of Mr. Vuong Duc Hoe's family in Thai Binh hamlet that died abnormally. Photo: Thanh Le |
“Shrimp farmers in this area have just released shrimp since March 17, 2020. Up to now, shrimp have been dying abnormally due to pollution from the water source. In the immediate future, people hope that the State will have a policy to support chemicals to treat ponds with dead shrimp, because if water from these shrimp ponds is discharged into the environment, it will continue to pollute the environment. In the long term, the authorities need to have a solution to completely handle the pollution of the water source from Vinh city flowing into Rao Dung sewer.”
Thai Binh is the hamlet with the largest production area affected by wastewater pollution from Rao Dung sewer among the hamlets affected in Nghi Thai commune. Water pollution has been occurring here for several years now. Due to water pollution, the shrimp farming area of 36 households in 4 hamlets of Thai Hung, Thai Hoc, Thai Binh and Thai Cat, Nghi Thai commune has been severely affected in recent years. Not only the shrimp died, 29 hectares of rice growing area of Thai Binh hamlet people were also affected by death, wilting, and yellowing due to water pollution. Even many people wading in the water to work in the rice fields also had itchy rashes on their hands and feet.
Vice Chairman of Nghi Thai Commune People's Committee (Nghi Loc) Nguyen Van Luc said: We believe that the cause of water pollution in Rao Dung culvert comes from two sources of emissions. First is the source of domestic wastewater from Vinh city flowing directly into the canal; second is the wastewater from Vinh city's wastewater treatment plant (located in Hung Hoa commune) discharged into the environment. The water pollution from Rao Dung culvert affects the shrimp farming and rice growing areas of the whole commune. At the meetings with voters of People's Council delegates at all levels, this is a pressing issue that has been reported many times by voters in the commune but has not been completely resolved so far.
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| Water pollution affects rice fields in Nghi Thai commune. Photo: Thanh Le |
“The local government and people in the commune hope that the authorities will quickly take drastic action to find solutions to handle and reduce environmental pollution to ensure people's lives and production.”
According to the Provincial People's Council delegate Dinh Thi An Phong (constituency in Nghi Loc district): The treatment of wastewater at Rao Dung culvert in Nghi Thai commune, Nghi Loc district has been repeatedly petitioned by voters, lasting for many sessions. The Provincial People's Committee has explained, but voters have not agreed because the explanation is still general. This is an issue that has a direct and long-term impact on people's lives, but the actual situation has only resolved about 40% of the pollution. This reality is causing about 100 hectares of agricultural production area in Nghi Thai commune and neighboring localities to be directly affected. Therefore, the relevant agencies need to strengthen supervision and have a definitive solution for the people.
Clarifying the responsibilities of relevant levels and sectors
Regarding the environmental pollution situation at Rao Dung culvert as well as water sources in some neighboring areas, which is true and has been recurring for many years, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Duy Viet said: Rao Dung River is the place that receives water from the northern area of Vinh City (according to the Bac canal basin) and the eastern area of Nghi Loc district (Nghi Thai commune). Therefore, this is the discharge point of wastewater according to the Bac canal basin and of the Vinh City Centralized Wastewater Treatment Plant in Hung Hoa commune...
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| Rao Don sewer water source is polluted. Photo: Thanh Le |
“Water in the North Canal area, according to the principle and some places concentrated on this canal according to the process, has been brought to the wastewater treatment station in Hung Hoa commune before being released into the environment. However, this treatment has not been 100% successful, so the phenomenon as reflected by voters has occurred. The responsibility belongs to the two localities, Vinh City and Nghi Loc District. With the responsibility of the industry, from 2017 up to now, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has inspected and has also issued many documents guiding and directing these two localities, but the treatment is facing difficulties so it is not thorough.”
In response to voters' concerns, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committee of Vinh City and Nghi Loc District to resolve pollution issues. As a result, for the Vinh City Centralized Wastewater Treatment Plant in Hung Hoa Commune: The plant has been granted a wastewater discharge permit by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to discharge wastewater into water sources and periodic environmental monitoring according to the content of the environmental impact assessment report, the discharge permit is carried out in accordance with regulations...
In addition, Vinh City People's Committee has also directed the installation of an automatic water quality monitoring system at the factory before discharging treated water into Rao Dung River. The data is connected and continuously updated to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. In case of an incident at the factory, the treated wastewater does not meet the requirements, the system will alert the environmental protection management agencies to know and direct the solution.
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| North Canal (Vinh City). Photo archive |
As for wastewater from the North Canal basin, the Provincial People's Committee has directed the Vinh City People's Committee to implement the North Canal Renovation and Upgrade Project. Accordingly, wastewater from both sides of the canal is collected and pumped to the factory for treatment, not discharged directly into the North Canal and Dao Rung River. Up to now, the project has been basically completed. However, during the trial operation, the pipeline system encountered a problem, so the wastewater was not pumped to the factory for treatment but still flowed into the North Canal, the regulating lake, and then into the Rao Dung River...
“The Provincial People’s Committee has requested the Vinh City People’s Committee to direct units to focus on fixing the problem, handing over the pipeline and wastewater pumping station to Vinh Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company for management and operation according to the approved design. After completing the fix, the issue raised by voters will be resolved.”
