VietNamNet Bridge – Residents in the city of My Tho in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang have complained about a bad odour that had been polluting the city, especially at dawn and sunset.

Many residents in My Tho City's Trung An Commune and Wards 5, 6 and 10 said they had felt nauseous and could not eat, according to a report in Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Exhaust fumes emitted from factories belonging to Thuan Phong Co Ltd and CP Viet Nam Co at My Tho Industrial Park exceeded the standard level by five times, according to the Tien Giang Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Four of the seven air samples taken from around the My Tho industrial park had levels of ammonia (NH3) exceeding the standard level.

According to the department, the bad odour comes from the factories of Royal Foods Ltd, T.C. Union Viet Nam, Badavina Co Ltd. and Uni-President Ltd.

The department said Uni-President had raised its capacity by 12.5 times compared with its opening, without taking any measures to treat waste water.

The department has urged the Tien Giang People's Committee to force the polluting enterprises to upgrade their treatment of industrial emissions.

Uni-President was asked to draw up an environmental protection plan for its 264,000 tonne per year animal-feed factory and to keep its waste exhaust emissions to standard levels.

The province said that its environmental protection plan would not be ratified if the bad odours from its factory were not treated.

If it refuses to treat the odour, the company will be forced to lower its capacity to only 21,000 tonnes per year.

Source: VNS