Mass fish deaths continue to appear in Vinh ancient citadel canal

On the morning of August 17, according to the reporter's records, along the Vinh ancient citadel moat, Thanh Vinh ward, many spots of dead fish continued to appear. The water in the moat was pitch black, the fish carcasses floated, gathered in large patches, giving off an unpleasant smell. This situation lasted for more than a hundred meters, especially concentrated in block 1, old Cua Nam ward.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a resident living near the ditch, reported: This situation has been happening for the past 2 days, in many sections, the fish carcasses are piled up in patches, starting to decompose, causing a strong stench. “We have to keep our doors closed all day to prevent the unpleasant smell from entering our house. It’s bearable when it rains today, but on sunny days the smell is unbearable,” Ms. Hoa said.

Faced with the above situation, the People's Committee of Thanh Vinh Ward mobilized urban environmental forces to collect dead fish. Mr. Nguyen Sy Dieu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Thanh Vinh Ward said: The phenomenon of dead fish appeared from the afternoon of August 16, mainly due to heavy rain causing sudden changes in the water environment.

“We have directed the authorities to urgently collect the fish, clean up to limit the spread of pollution and assign forces to continue to be on duty and check the canals. However, it is difficult to handle it thoroughly, because every time there is heavy rain, the water environment changes and the fish die en masse. This is not the first time it has happened, it has been happening for many years,” said Mr. Dieu.

According to records, the main type of dead fish was tilapia. Faced with the large number of dead fish, environmental workers had to spread nets and use nets along the ancient citadel moat to collect and bury them. However, this was only a temporary solution and did not address the root cause of the problem.

It is known that the Vinh ancient citadel relic complex was built in 1831, surrounded by a 28m wide, 3m deep moat, playing an important role in preserving the historical and cultural values ​​of the city. However, the prolonged environmental pollution has affected the lives of people living nearby.

Residents in the area have repeatedly requested that a fundamental solution be found, rather than just stopping at removing dead fish and temporarily handling the problem. Some opinions suggest that it is necessary to strengthen control over water sources discharged into the moat, limit untreated domestic wastewater, and at the same time research on regenerating green landscapes, adding filtration systems and environmental treatment to prevent recurrence.