Before environmental incidents, do not be slow!
To find the cause of environmental incidents such as the Nam Huong stream (Quy Hop) changing color and causing fish deaths, local authorities and relevant agencies need to respond quickly and promptly, and must ensure honesty and objectivity.
Feeling uneasy when the Nam Huong river section passing through Cai village, Chau Thanh commune (Quy Hop) suddenly turned dark yellow with dead fish washing ashore, some social media users in Quy Hop district posted related information and images on their personal Facebook pages.
My colleague in this mining area was no exception. He also quickly posted information about the incident and the involvement of relevant authorities on his personal Facebook account.
Because this was an unusual incident, the information and images of Nam Huong stream they posted on their personal Facebook quickly attracted the attention of social network users. Similarly, their colleagues' personal Facebook also received many comments, including some very noteworthy exchanges.
As Nguyen Giang wrote: “Look back at the history of Quy Hop 20 years ago. The water of Dinh River, streams, and springs is crystal clear. It’s so simple, but you keep looking for the cause…”; or Sam Van Thanh’s account made a prediction: “The water must have chemicals, that’s why so many fish died.”
Even Facebook account Khoi Nguyen wrote: “From 2016 - 2017 when the Bac stream sludge dam of Nghe Tinh Nonferrous Metal Company broke, we analyzed and dissected it to decide on the optimal solution to replace the water source supplying Quy Hop town. But who is responsible for the funding is unclear. As for the water plant, they are not responsible for whether the input source is exploited or not. So until now, they have been inactive.
In my opinion, if no one is responsible for replacing the water source for the water plant, the only way is to permanently suspend the exploitation of the Suoi Bac tin ore. We cannot trade the environment and people's health for economic reasons."
But the most interesting is the account Tran Duc, when he commented: “In my personal opinion, the State took the sample a bit late. It would have been better to take the sample earlier. Letting the stream water flow away with too much toxic substances…”.
As a journalist, I have worked in Quy Hop many times to convey information about similar incidents, so when I read these comments, I understand their thoughts and feelings. Although Quy Hop district is rich in mineral resources, for many years it has suffered negative impacts from mineral exploitation. There are visible consequences, but there are also consequences that are happening silently that not everyone knows about.
Like the water of Nam Huong stream, closely linked to the daily life of households in the communes of Chau Thanh, Chau Cuong, Chau Quang, from agricultural production, livestock farming..., to daily water. Even the water of Nam Huong stream is the raw water source for Quy Hop Water Plant to produce domestic water for tens of thousands of people in the town.
So, when Nam Huong stream has unusual problems, how can the people of Chau Thanh, Chau Cuong, Chau Quang communes and Quy Hop town not be worried and uneasy? Without expressing their desire for authorities, sectors and functional units to get involved to find the cause of the incident and strictly handle the culprits.
But to find the cause of the incident, it is necessary to have a quick, timely response, and to ensure honesty and objectivity. In the case of Nam Huong stream changing color, in addition to identifying the discharger, it is extremely important to promptly collect environmental samples for examination. Anyone can understand that the related streams on Lan Toong mountain and Nam Huong stream are all flowing water.
The discharge of wastewater by Ha An Tin Company Limited took place over a certain period of time. If there is a quick response and timely sampling, accuracy can be guaranteed. On the contrary, if the sampling is taken after a period of time has passed, the water in the stream will wash away the source of toxic waste, and the results of the assessment will therefore be inaccurate.
As reported by Chau Thanh commune, the incident of Nam Huong stream changing to dark yellow occurred from June 30 to July 1; while the two water samples were taken for testing on July 3 and July 8. Therefore, Facebook account Tran Duc wondered and commented, “In my personal opinion, the State took the sample a bit late. It would have been better to take the sample earlier. Letting the stream water flow away with too much toxic substances…” is completely correct!
Therefore, this comment should be considered a quality suggestion; so that before any environmental incident, do not be slow!
