The printing factory is in residential quarter

While waiting for factories to relocate, thousands of households in the central districts of Ba Dinh, Hai Ba Trung, Thanh Xuan and Dong Da still have to live in pollution.

Located at No 189 Hoang Hoa Tham, the 500 square meter Science & Technology Printing Factory at No 189 Hoang Hoa Tham street has been running for tens of years. 

Lan, a local woman, said her family has been living with the noise and ink smell from the factory for about 10 years.

“Who can imagine that the people in the middle of the capital city have to live in such bad conditions?” she said.

Hoang Thi Kim Xuyen from Lieu Giai Ward said the ink smell is so bad that everyone would feels as if they want to vomit, and local households have to always close the windows.

“We have many times asked for the relocation of the printing factory, and the factory once stopped operation. I wonder why it has resumed operation,” Xuyen said.

The printing factory is not the only nightmare for local residents. Just tens of meters away from the printing factory, there is a factory that makes train brakes which produce deafening noise every day. 

Situated in the most densely populated area in the district of Hai Ba Trung, Doximex, a weaving factory regularly produces white and black smoke, threatening the lives of tens of thousands of people and schools nearby. 

Vo Thi Hue from Vinh Tuy Ward said the problem is getting more and more serious as more people have been found suffering respiratory diseases. 

Local people many times complained about this to local authorities, but the factory still maintains its operation and has even expanded.

Hanoi authorities decided that 117 polluting production bases must leave 12 inner districts by 2020 and the relocation would be implemented in four phases. However, the process has been going at a snail’s pace.

Of the 117 production bases which have to move, many have set up production units in the suburbs or neighboring provinces, but they are still trying to maintain the units in the inner city. 

In 2011, Doximex put a factory covering an area of 20 hectare in Hung Yen province into operation. However, it still maintains a production unit at 524 Minh Khai Street and continues polluting the area.

Hanoi Pharmacy and B.Braun Co Ltd have set up new production bases in Quang Minh and Thanh Oai IZs, respectively. But they still maintain production at No 170 De La Thanh.

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