Monitoring commitments

"Factories found to be causing environmental damage will be closed" is the commitment made by Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh in a recent announcement.

By 2030, the Mekong Delta will have 14 thermal power plants. In the photo: The Duyen Hai thermal power plant in Tra Vinh is already operational - Photo: V. TRUONG

This commitment is seen as a message of lasting value, and the environmental and social sectors will monitor its implementation for many years to come.

This message is all the more valuable given public concern over the reality of "coal-fired power plants surrounding the delta."

Addressing concerns about environmental pollution, Minister Tran Tuan Anh cited the series of articles "Coal-fired power plants surround the delta" in Tuoi Tre newspaper and urged leaders of corporations and general companies "not to sacrifice the environment for projects".

That warning is necessary. Because after a period of hydropower exploitation, many places are now suffering the environmental consequences.

After hydropower, we moved on to exploiting thermal power. And to ensure economic efficiency, these thermal power plants are located near urban areas and residential areas, so if pollution occurs, the price to pay will be much greater and the danger far more serious.

And there are many other factories in various sectors that are poisoning the environment and threatening the living conditions of communities, as reflected in public opinion and prompting people to cry out for help.

And in that context, not only were there commitments, but the Ministry of Industry and Trade's statement also included a list of many factories that were confirmed to have "environmental problems," such as the Lam Dong Aluminum Plant which arbitrarily changed environmental protection measures without approval; or the Textile and Garment Group which has a wastewater treatment plant for dyeing but does not operate it and discharges it directly into the environment...

However, the commitments made by ministers, corporations, and businesses are still just words.

Therefore, translating commitments into action, including inspection, monitoring, and corrective measures, even making decisions to close down facilities found to be polluting, is the only way to convince the public.

For now, we can start with the list of potentially polluting facilities that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has identified.

With Minister Tran Tuan Anh's commitment, the viewpoint of "not sacrificing the environment for projects" needs to be upgraded to "not sacrificing the environment to keep factories."

Only such decisive action can save the community's living environment. Although we know that closing a factory is far more difficult than rejecting a potentially polluting project while it's still just on paper.

Therefore, hopefully, once the minister has made a commitment, he will do everything possible to fulfill it. While trust is essential in life, when it comes to environmental issues, words alone are not enough; actions are necessary to build trust.

Society remembers Minister Tran Tuan Anh's commitment and has begun monitoring its implementation.

According to Tuoi Tre newspaper