Mekong Delta provinces are implementing measures to tackle the issue of
water pollution, according to the Steering Committee for the
South-Western Region.
Special attention is being
paid to constructing sewage treatment facilities and environmental early
warning systems at industrial parks, whilst making environmental
assessment reports a legal requirement for all investment projects.
Raising public awareness on environmental protection, improving
irrigation systems for aquaculture, and preventing chemical leaching are
also amongst the set of measures to be adopted.
Authorities in An Giang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces and Can Tho
city plan to construct 13 waste water treatment plants by 2016, capable
of treating 188,000m3 of household waste water per day.
From 2016 onwards, 17 industrial sewage treatment plants will be
constructed, with a capacity of 240,000m3 per day, including 11
facilities in Can Tho, where similar projects are already under
construction at Thot Not and Tra Noc industrial parks.
Starting this year, drainage systems will be rebuilt in urban areas,
while biogas tanks will be constructed in rural areas to reduce
environmental contamination.
According to the
south-western Department of Environmental Protection, waste water
contains toxic substances, mainly discharged from industrial parks,
urban households, and agriculture.
The authority
calculates that the total amount of waste water would increase to 1.4
million m3 per day by 2020, with households being the main culprits,
especially in Can Tho.-VNA