A USD800-million project to build a wastewater treatment plant and wastewater collecting drain system for Hanoi’s major rivers, including To Lich River, is at a standstill.

The Ministry of Finance has proposed increasing fees for wastewater discharged by carwashes, hotels and restaurants.

VietNamNet Bridge - Investors in weaving and dyeing workshops have promised local authorities to discharge treated waste water to satisfy Vietnamese standards, but authorities say they rarely do.

 Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen The Hung called on German investors to join the capital city’s projects on drainage, wastewater treatment and improvement of the local environment at a forum on March 19.

 Ho Chi Minh City is calling for investment to 17 flood prevention and wastewater treatment projects, and needs more than 96 trillion VND (4.12 billion USD) for the works from now to 2020.

VietNamNet Bridge - Enterprises understand that fulfilling environmental protection tasks will improve competitiveness, enter international markets and ensure sustainable development. However, there are many obstacles.

The degradation of the waste water treatment system, coupled with rapid urbanization, has led to serious pollution in Da Nang, with domestic waste water going directly into canals, rivers and the sea.

Da Nang, the city in the central region with beautiful beaches, has once again become the center of the public’s attention as it plans a mammoth sea encroachment project.

Waste water treatment and tourism management at world heritage site Ha Long Bay were among issues highlighted at the fifth leadership committee meeting of the Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance in Ha Long City, 

At least 100 percent of monitored craft villages have at least three indicators exceeding the permitted levels, while 35 percent of households are not treating treat waste water before discharging it into the environment.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Importing large amounts of scrap steel is turning Viet Nam into an industrial landfill, with environmental risks coming with the waste.

 VietNamNet Bridge – HCM City authorities are struggling to reach the target of having wastewater treatment systems at all export processing zones, industrial parks and industrial complexes by 2020.

Spain should be fined at least 46.5 million euros for failing to treat waste water properly in 17 towns and cities, the European Commission said on Thursday, adding it was taking the country back to court over the infringements.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam will need around US$10.2 billion to carry out water supply and wastewater treatment projects in the 2016-2020 period.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Heavy metals have been detected in six out of nine seafood samples taken on August 5 off Ha Tinh Province,

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam plans to allocate big budgets to develop waste water drainage systems in urban areas in recent years. However, the systems’ conditions remain poor which still cause pollution because of low drainage capacity.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The central province of Thua Thien-Hue will invest about 9 trillion VND (405 million USD) in turning Hue into a green urban city from 2016 to 2030.

VietNamNet Bridge – Many factories in HCMC dump untreated wastewater into canals with a recent report showing that only 85% of 3,300 manufacturing facilities in the city have built standard wastewater treatment systems.

 Northern provinces forecast to see 3-4 cold spells; Firecracker smugglers seized at Lao border; Bus carrying 30 passengers barely avoids collision; Taxi and long-range coach companies slash fares; Police seize fake cooking additives