VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City wants 1,361 polluting industrial plants to move out of downtown and residential areas to the suburbs, but no alternate location has been identified for them, they lack funds to set up new plants and authorities have failed to come up with support policies.

Most of the plants are very small and have limited resources and land, and so, despite being fined many times, they are not able to clean up their act. — Illustrative image/ File Photo

Most of the plants are very small and have limited resources and land, and so, despite being fined many times, they are not able to clean up their act.

In Binh Chanh District, 194 highly polluting plants recycle plastic waste, melt iron and steel, manufacture fertiliser and process seafood.

"Authorities have stepped up supervision and checks to protect the environment, but there are a lot of challenges," Nguyen Van Truong, deputy chairman of the Binh Chanh People's Committee, was quoted as saying in Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper.

"Support policies are necessary for those who have to move out to encourage them to adopt green technologies."

Concurring with his suggestion, deputy chairman of the Binh Tan Province People's Committee, Nguyen Gia Thai Binh, also pointed out that small plants could not install waste treatment systems or adopt new technologies due to limited resources.

VNS