from the inner city after the recent fire at Rang Dong Light Sources and Vacuum Flask JSC.

Rạng Đông Light Sources and Vacuum Flask JSC was seriously damaged after the fire. The company was located near residential houses in Thanh Xuan District. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung

What do you think about moving factories out of the inner city following the recent fire at the Rang Dong warehouse in Thanh Xuan District?

The plan to remove industrial establishments that are improperly located out of the inner city was made in 1992 after the city’s general planning was approved.
The removal of these facilities has become an urgent issue.

The city has made new development plans to create conditions for some factories to move their production units out of the inner city while keeping only offices for paperwork.

However, some factories are still operating although they have been assigned new locations. Meanwhile, the relocation of some factories remains slow, even though the State has issued regulations on land compensation for the removal.

Rang Dong is one among several factories asked for relocation by the municipal authorities but has not been moved. In fact, the company was offered the chance to move the factory to Que Vo Industrial Park in the northern province of Bac Ninh in 2006 and in 2015, the firm invested in expanding the factory's total area in the park to 8.2 hectares.

Relocation plans were already made, new positions for these factories were identified and the city issued preferential policies to encourage them to move but the implementation remains slow and ineffective.

What are the main reasons behind this tardiness?

The lack of resources is the key reason. We need funds to move these industrial establishments. Many businesses used this reason to not move to new positions. Others stay because they said they would face difficulties in employment issues as workers will have to move out of the inner city.

Workers of these factories do not want to move to a new place for work. It is not easy for them to move together with the factories.

However, most of the challenges are the awareness of industrial establishments and the lack of determination and close supervision of authorities. The plan to remove industrial factories out of the inner city was made more than 20 years ago and relocation decisions were issued for some factories four to five years ago but were not implemented.

Some factories keep operating, causing environmental pollution while agencies do not employ close supervision over the environmental impacts of these factories. The environmental impact of the fire at the Rang Dong company is an example.

What measures are needed to implement the city’s plans to relocate factories out of the inner city?

We need a comprehensive direction and guidelines for agencies, factories and industrial production establishments.

The State needs more effective measures to force factories to move as well as have preferential policies and financial support to help businesses build new facilities in new locations.

The amendments of the land law need to take into consideration more regulations on the use of land fund in the inner city. In fact, land set aside for ministries and sectors that are projected to move is less than that of industrial establishments which need to relocate.

Stricter supervision over operation of factories is also needed to prevent environmental pollution.

Hanoi chairman urges relevant agencies quickly remedy Rang Dong fire

The light bulb factory that caught fire releasing toxic chemical fumes into the atmosphere late in August has been told that it must be relocated to the outskirts of Hanoi.

 

Free medical checks-up for residents following Rang Dong fire

People living around Rang Dong Light Source &Vacuum Flask JSC in Hanoi will get free medical examinations following the recent fire at the firm.

Mercury levels after Rang Dong fire deemed safe

The level of mercury found in various samples collected in the vicinity of a destroyed light bulb factory in a densely-populated area of Hanoi has been deemed safe to human health, VN Environment Administration said yesterday.

VNS