The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has issued a plan to completely handle long lasting environmental pollution in Dong Hung Thuan ward of District 12, home to 42 polluting weaving, dyeing, paper and package plants.

A group of plants in Dong Hung Thuan Ward, District 12, HCMC (Photo: SGGP)

These plants have caused environmental pollution since 2008 and so far half of them have stopped operation. The remaining ones have equipped wastewater and factory fume treatment systems but pollution has not abated because of outdated production technologies.

A representative of the People’s Committee of District 12 said they had regularly inspected these plants and slammed fines but the situation has not been improved.

According to the plan which will be implemented by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, of the remaining 21 production establishments, 16 will have to relocate in Le Minh Xuan 3 Industrial Park in Binh Chanh district, two change their business suiting District 12’s plan and three seek relocation places themselves.

All of them should stop polluting activities before December 31 this year unless they will not enjoy the city's assistance and incentives to relocate, according to deputy chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem.

After that time, their operation will be closely supervised to prevent environment pollution and they will be tackled if breaking relevant regulations, Liem added.

The city People’s Committee requires these 21 establishments to apply environmental protection measures while doing procedures to remove or change their business. Specifically, they should reduce capacity or renew production technologies. Interagency inspectors will keep a close watch on how they implement this requirement.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is responsible for assisting these plants to remove or change their business. Among the assistances, the department will help establish relocation projects and send them to the Department of Planning and Investment to attend the city’s demand stimulation program.

Those inaccessible to the program can learn about a low interest loaning program by the Environment Protection Fund under the department.

The department should timely catch difficulties in implementation of the plan and propose to the city’s People’s Committee to solve them.

SGGP