VietNamNet Bridge – Traditional markets in HCM City are badly polluted due to lack of wastewater treatment systems and deteriorated infrastructure facilities, according to the city Environment Protection Sub-department.

A traditional market in Linh Xuan Commune, Thu Duc District. Poor infrastructure has made traditional markets a source of pollution and health hazard. (Photo: VNS)

Only 7 per cent of the markets have waste treatment facilities and 41.6 per cent have a place for dumping garbage.

Since 2003 district people's committees have been drawing up plans to upgrade infrastructure at local markets but have suffered from lack of funds.

Meanwhile, the rapid increase in population and affluence has meant most of the local markets are bursting at the seams, leaving no room to build waste-treatment facilities or set up rubbish-collection places.

Only three wholesale markets – Thu Duc, Binh Dien, and Hoc Mon – have wastewater treatment systems but even their capacity is much below requirement.

As a result, most the traditional markets in the city are flooded with wastewater and garbage, with the dirtiest areas being places that sell fresh food.

The food they sell is often contaminated as a result.

Ba Chieu market is one of the city's worst-polluted markets. A representative of its management board said the market was built more than 30 years ago and is now in bad shape.

Drainage systems in the market and its surrounding areas are in terrible condition, he said, admitting they have created stagnant puddles in and around the market.

It did not have a garbage-collection spot either, he added.

Besides, the mushrooming of illegal markets is also a cause for the city's environment to worsen.

There are 176 of them, mainly in the districts of Go Vap, Binh Thanh, Thu Duc, and Tan Phu. None of them has a wastewater treatment system or garbage collection facilities.

According to the Sub-department, since the city's markets do not have their own drainage systems, they release their wastewater which often contains chemicals and preservatives directly into the city's sewer system.

However, the markets only have to pay the same rates as domestic users.

To raise money to upgrade infrastructure and install wastewater treatment systems, the city environment watchdog has recommended to the Government to raise the environment protection tariffs for the markets.

It also stressed the need for the city government to quickly upgrade their infrastructure to safeguard the environment and people's health.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News