Nghe An: Alarm over pollution of many canals due to garbage and waste

(Baonghean) - The situation of littering at the source of canals and mineral exploitation that discharges waste into canals has caused many localities to suffer from polluted water sources.

In Quy Hop district, natural water sources are seriously polluted due to indiscriminate mining and processing of minerals. The confluence of the Nam Ton and Nam Huong rivers in Chau Quang commune is one of the places that suffers the most serious consequences of water pollution from upstream mining activities.

Mr. Vi Van Mai in Con village, Chau Quang commune said: My family has 8 sao of rice fields, but polluted water from tin mining flows into the fields, so I had to switch to growing rice.

Garbage overflows siphons in Quynh Thanh commune (Quynh Luu). Photo: Van Truong

In the upper reaches of the Dinh River, white stone processing factories and ore mining factories are discharging mud and stone powder directly into the river and streams. People on both sides of the river also dump waste and dead animals into the river, causing pollution that directly affects the water supply to the communes of Tam Hop, Yen Hop, Chau Loc, etc.

In the plain districts, along the canal flowing through Quynh Luu district, the underground sewers and siphons are all filled with garbage. Ms. Ho Thi Huyen in Hamlet 7, Quynh Doi Commune reported: “Every day, people collect garbage from the underground sewers near the hamlet, but it is too much. There are all kinds of garbage, including dead animals such as dogs, chickens, pigs, etc. The stinking flies and mosquitoes that fly into the village are unbearable. The people are most worried about the pollution of the domestic water source, because all the garbage is gathered near the Quynh Doi Water Plant.”

Alarmingly, dozens of communes in Quynh Luu district use domestic water from this canal. Even the Quynh Luu Water Plant with a capacity of 3,000m³/day/night providing domestic water for the towns of Cau Giat, Quynh Hong, Quynh Ba, Quynh Ngoc, Son Hai, An Hoa, Quynh Hung, Quynh Hau, Quynh Thuan also take water from this canal system.

Many irrigation canals are also polluted in Nghi Loc, Nam Dan, Tan Ky districts... affecting people's domestic water sources.

Garbage in the N8 siphon sewer through Tang Thanh commune. Photo by Le Cuong

Faced with the reality of many acts of encroachment on the irrigation system, Mr. Le Cuong - Deputy General Director of Bac Nghe An Irrigation Company Limited reflected: Bac Nghe An irrigation system serves production water for 70,000 hectares and supplies water for daily life to more than 1 million people in the area of ​​5 districts of Do Luong, Yen Thanh, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu and Hoang Mai town. The situation of dumping waste, garbage, and animal carcasses into the canals is common in this system, causing many consequences.

The places where large amounts of waste are often dumped into the canal include: Do Luong main canal passing through Van Son commune, N2 canal of Van Trang pumping station passing through Do Luong town; N4B canal passing through Trung Thanh commune, N10 canal passing through Hoa Thanh and Van Thanh communes, Yen Thanh district; N13 canal passing through Quynh Giang commune, Do Luong main canal passing through Quynh Hau and Quynh Thach communes (Quynh Luu); main canal, Nam Ho Vuc Mau canal passing through Mai Hung and Quynh Xuan wards (Hoang Mai town)...

Collecting trash in the Thai River siphon, Do Luong main canal passing through Quynh Giang and Quynh Luu communes - Photo by Le Cuong

Faced with that situation, Bac Irrigation Company Ltd. has taken many measures to prevent and clean up to clear the canal and protect the environment, but violations of irrigation works are occurring more and more, especially the dumping of waste, scrap, and animal carcasses into the river, affecting water supply and causing serious environmental pollution.

I think it is time for state management agencies at all levels to take drastic action to immediately prevent these problems./.

Le Cuong - Van Truong