VietNamNet Bridge – The pollution in the Buoi River, caused by a sugar factory, has not only killed fish but also affected the water resources of thousand households in 22 communes in the districts of Thach Thanh and Vinh Loc in Thanh Hoa province.

On May 9 Nguyen Duc Quyen, Deputy Chairman of Thanh Hoa, said the province was aggressively handling the mass fish deaths in the Buoi River. The urgent task right now is taking out dead fish from the river, destroying them and seeking an alternative source of water supply for local residents.

Photo: More than 17 tons of caged fish and tons of natural fish in the Buoi River died due to pollution.

Quyen said the pollution in the river was very serious. Thanh Hoa authorities advised people not to eat dead fish and not to use contaminated water sources.

The official said the pollution case will be investigated and prosecuted. The case has been reported to the Prime Minister.

On May 4 morning dead fish began appearing in the river while the water turned green and smelled badly. The next days, fish in cages of many households in the downstream area also died en masse. The phenomenon occurred along 30 km of the river.

Hoa Binh Sugar JSC, based in Tan My commune, Lac Son district, Hoa Binh province, was initially defined as the polluter.

This company also admitted discharging untreated waste water into the river upstream since late April, with about 300cu.m/day.

This is one of many serious cases of water pollution reported in Vietnam recently, besides the massive fish deaths along the central coast.

A fish breeder with dead fish from his fish cages.       Hoa Binh Sugar JSC, the polluter.           The wastewater canal from the sugar plant.       A wastewater lake of the sugar plant.           A cassava starch plant, which is located near the sugar plant and has stopped operation.     The polluted small canal in front of the cassava starch plant.       The Buoi River         Dead fish

Thu Ly