Vinh Tan ecological lake in Vinh city will be dredged of sludge before the 2023 rainy season.

Recommendations for regular operation of transfer pumping stations

The current state of environmental pollution at Vinh Tan ecological lake was reported by Nghe An Electronic Newspaper on February 2, 2023 in the article "The cry of Vinh Tan ecological lake”. On February 14, 2023, the lake management unit, Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company, sent a document to Nghe An Newspaper about the pollution status of Vinh Tan Lake.

Cover of the article "The cry of Vinh Tan ecological lake" on Nghe An electronic newspaper. Photo: Nhat Lan

Here, Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company informs:

“The Vinh Tan ecological urban area project, Vinh City, Nghe An Province, was assigned by the State to Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company as the Investor. Vinh Tan regulating lake is a technical infrastructure item of the project, which was invested in, constructed and completed by the investor and put into use in 2012. During the management period, the phenomenon of foul-smelling lake water appeared many times. Regarding this phenomenon, people living in the project and neighboring areas have reported to the company and the authorities.

In particular, a month before the Lunar New Year 2023, the lake water turned pitch black, foamed, covered with thick layers of scum, and emitted a strong stench hundreds of meters away, seriously affecting the lives and health of households in the Vinh Tan ecological urban area project and residents around the project area. Regarding this, residents living in the project also submitted a petition, calling for help to the investor and the authorities. Immediately after the phenomenon occurred, the company also proactively inspected and repeatedly contacted and worked directly with Vinh Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company to reflect on the above phenomenon.

However, in the following days, the pollution of Vinh Tan Lake did not improve. On January 13, 2023, Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company sent Document No. 05/CV-CT to Vinh Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company regarding the treatment of dirty water flowing into the regulating lake of the Vinh Tan Ecological Urban Area project, Vinh City, Nghe An Province (with attached images and videos, images recorded at the outlet of Nguyen Son Street into Vinh Tan Lake, where the direct discharge of dirty water took place). On January 18, 2023, Vinh City People's Committee issued Document No. 256/UBND-TNMT to the following departments: Urban Management, Natural Resources and Environment, Vinh Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company, Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company regarding: Solving environmental pollution of Vinh Tan Lake. By January 20, 2023, when the authorities and the press got involved, the situation of dirty water being discharged into the lake stopped, the lake water no longer foamed, and the stench was reduced.

Vinh Tan ecological lake. Photo: Thanh Cuong

At the same time, Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company answered the question: "As the unit assigned by the State to manage the lake, what does the company determine is the cause of the pollution? The current situation of the lake bed having a lot of sludge, which is not only unsightly but also a pollutant during times of weather change, what solutions does the company have to deal with this problem?", as follows:

“Since 2012, after Vinh Tan Lake was completed and put into use, it is still being managed and operated by the investor. Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company regularly conducts maintenance, repair of the lake embankment, cleaning the lake bed, dredging the flow, and coordinates with Vinh Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company to operate Vinh Tan Lake to ensure the city's general drainage goal. On the other hand, Vinh Tan Lake has been in operation for more than 10 years, so the sedimentation of sand and soil over time is inevitable. Therefore, every year the company conducts dredging of sediment, sand and waste around the lake bed and in front of the discharge gate to ensure the flow is cleared.

Image of wastewater overflowing into Vinh Tan ecological lake recorded by camera before Lunar New Year 2023. Photo: Contributor

Vinh Tan Lake has the following functions: Collecting all rainwater from the project through the discharge gates (dirty water from the project is collected by a separate pipeline system and flows into the city's general wastewater drainage system); Collecting rainwater from the city through the Hong Bang canal and the canal along Nguyen Son Street. Currently, the Hong Bang canal and the canal along Nguyen Son Street collect rainwater and dirty water together, operating on the principle of overflowing into Vinh Tan Lake when it rains, so when there is heavy rain, all the settled mud and dirty water and waste in the canals will overflow into the lake, polluting the lake bed and depositing soil and sand. In addition, the daily dirty water system is pumped into the city's wastewater treatment system when the weather is dry. Therefore, under normal conditions, when the transfer pump system in Trung Do Ward is not in operation or stopped, dirty water will overflow through the baffle at the discharge gate on Nguyen Son Street and flow into Vinh Tan Lake. Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company assessed that this is the main reason why the water quality of Vinh Tan Lake in recent years has not been guaranteed, causing odor pollution and affecting the ecology of the Vinh Tan ecological urban lake.

Solving the pollution situation of Vinh Tan Lake depends on many factors and many related units, so it is necessary to have unity and coordination between the parties to completely solve the pollution situation of Vinh Tan Lake. To ensure the environment and health of households living in the project and surrounding areas, the company requests the Vinh City People's Committee to direct the Vinh Urban Infrastructure Management and Development Joint Stock Company to operate the transfer pumping station in Trung Do Ward regularly to avoid dirty water overflowing through the discharge gate of Nguyen Son Street into Vinh Tan Lake.

Will dredge comprehensively, overall

On January 18, 2023, Vinh City People's Committee issued Document No. 256/UBND-TNMT on resolving environmental pollution of Vinh Tan Lake to Hanoi Housing Investment and Development Joint Stock Company No. 30 and related departments, offices and units. Here, it was determined that Vinh Tan Lake was polluted because wastewater from the city's general drainage system had not been thoroughly collected, and at times flowed directly into the lake; on the other hand, since its operation until now, the lake has not been dredged, and the accumulated sludge has decomposed over many years, causing a foul odor. To resolve this situation, specifically with Hanoi Housing Investment and Development Joint Stock Company No. 30, in Document No. 256/UBND-TNMT, the City People's Committee assigned"Urgently develop a plan and roadmap to dredge the sediment in the lake, and find solutions to treat and improve the lake's water quality."

Vinh Tan ecological lake currently contains a large amount of sludge. Photo: Nhat Lan

Asked Mr. Nguyen Van An - General Director of Handico Vinh Tan Urban Development Investment Joint Stock Company: The overall dredging of Vinh Tan ecological lake not only improves the environment and landscape but also increases the lake's capacity, contributing to the city's flood prevention work during the rainy and stormy season. As the company assigned to manage and exploit the lake, how will the company carry out this work? Mr. Nguyen Van An said: "Yesterday, the company held a meeting to discuss this content. After discussing, the Board of Directors assigned the company to conduct a survey, make an estimate, hire a professional dredging unit with machinery, barges, etc. to comprehensively dredge the lake this summer."