VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists have rung the alarm bell over increasingly serious pollution of water sources, saying that pollution is becoming uncontrollable.

Ciputra in Tay Ho District in Hanoi, for example, is well known as a modern high-end urban area. However, the waste water treatment system plan exists only on paper.

Many other new urban areas in Hanoi, including Trung Hoa – Nhan Chinh in Thanh Xuan district and Linh Dam in Hoang Mai district, are also in the same situation. The waste water there is discharged directly into the environment without any treatment.

Under current regulations, urban area developers will be imposed a fine of up to VND50 million for discharging untreated waste water into the environment. However, as the fine is modest, they would rather pay a fine than spend big money on work which does not bring profits.

A report showed that there are over 150 new urban areas in Hanoi and thousands of multi-storey apartment buildings. However, no information exists about the number of urban areas that have their waste water discharged directly into the city’s water drainage system.

Water samples taken from wells at households in the districts of Hoang Mai, Gia Lam and Hai Ba Trung in 2014 all contained ammonia.

Nearly 10,000 residents in the My Dinh 2 Urban Area in mid-2014 panicked when hearing that the water they used every day had arsenic concentration much higher than the permitted level.

It is estimated that 35-40 percent of the domestic water for Hanoians is sourced from underground water sources.

Besides water sources in Hanoi, the river water in the central province of Kon Tum has also become unsafe. Scientists have reported that the water of Poko River had a bad smell on the first days of February due to serious pollution.

The locals in Tan Canh Commune of Dac To District said they found cassava and other kinds of garbage on Po Ko River, affirming that the waste is from starch processing plants on the upper course of Po Ko, located in Ngoc Hoi and Dac Glei districts.

Would a water pollution law help?

Environmentalists have suggested creating a law on controlling water resources to protect water sources from pollution.

They pointed out that water sources are becoming more and more seriously polluted because of problems in legal documents on water sources and water pollution control.

The Water Union has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to submit a draft law to the National Assembly for approval in the upcoming session.

Thanh Lich