Industrial wastewater to blame for Ba Bo Canal pollution
The black canals in HCM City

Collecting waste on Bung Binh Canal in HCM City. — VNS File Photo

Vo Van Hoan, the committee's deputy chairman, asked the Department of Mineral Resources and Environment to work with the committees of Thu Duc District and District 9 to inspect facilities that illegally discharge waste water and to punish violators.

Businesses headquartered in Thu Duc District and District 9 which discharge more than 1,000 cu.m of waste water were told to install automatic monitoring stations, which send data to the department.

The National University in HCM City was asked to build a wastewater treatment system for its Economic and Law faculties.

The city's Department of Mineral Resources and Environment also asked agencies in Binh Duong Province to inspect daily activities of households near HCM City National University (in Binh Duong Province), including the discharge of waste water and waste from pig and poultry breeders.

The People’s Committee in District 9 was asked to supervise the implementation of regulations on environmental protection at breeding households, which must build their own waste water dredging systems.

The committee was also asked to educate residents about the illegal discharging of waste or untreated water into canals

All households living along canals should sign waste-collection contracts with garbage collectors according to laws and regulations, the committee said.

District 9 authorities were also told to periodically supervise and monitor the surface water environment in Binh Tho Canal Area.

The four canals in the two districts are Suoi Cai, Suoi Nhum, Binh Tho, and Xuan Truong.

Meanwhile, the HCM City Department of Construction has stepped up construction of three waste water treatment plants, including the 65,000 cu.m Suoi Nhum Canal Waste Water Treatment station, the 170,000 cu.m North Sai Gon Station No 1, and another wastewater treatment facility with an output of 130,000 cu.m per day.

The city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development asked the Irrigation Service Management Ltd to dredge and collect waste, treat water hyacinth and wild grass, and facilitate the flow of Suoi Nhum – Suoi Cai and Xuan Truong canals, and collect waste and treat water hyacinth on Binh Tho Canal.

VNS