VietNamNet Bridge – Environment pollution caused by a chicken farm in Thu Thua District of the southern province of Long An, has affected the health and lives of numerous households for many years.

According to local residents, the chicken waste of Minh Dung farm causes a stink while attracting a large number of flies.

The privately run Minh Dung farm is currently raising 30,000 chickens.

Pham Thi Tam, a resident, said there were so many flies because of the environmental pollution from the chicken farm and the situation had existed for years.

Many of the roughly 200 households have to hang up mosquito nets when they have meals to keep out the flies, she said.

The smell from the chicken waste was really terrible, she added.

"We asked local authorities on numerous occasions to remove the chicken farm to safeguard the health of residents, but no measures have been taken yet," she said.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thanh Commune in Thu Thua District, Le Quoc Viet, said the chicken farm owner promised to handle the environmental pollution and remove the farm before today following the provincial People's Committee's order.

However, he said, during a recent inspection it was discovered that the farm owner had failed to keep his promise.

The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment has done regular inspections and asked the chicken farm owner to deal with the environment pollution, but the situation had not improved much, said the department's Deputy Director Huynh Thi Thep.

If the farm owner did not co-operate with local authorities in removing the farm, the department would propose stricter measures, she said.

VNS/VNN