The polluted Ông Ấu Canal is near a treatment facility of the Tiến Phát Commercial One Member LLC. VNA/VNS Photos Nhựt An

ĐỒNG THÁP – Local residents in the southern province of Đồng Tháp have been complaining about contaminated water in a local canal, which turned black and emitted foul odour, causing difficulties for their daily life and agricultural production.

They said the pollution of Ông Ấu Canal occurred two weeks ago, seriously affecting their crops and ponds in Mỹ Thọ and Nhị Mỹ communes in Cao Lãnh District.

Local authorities have inspected the situation, but the cause of the pollution has not yet been found.

Nguyễn Văn Phong, a farmer in Mỹ Thọ Commune, has seen the frogs in his 1,000-square-metre pond gradually die as the pond was not replenished with fresh water due to the pollution.

Twice a day, he had to remove the frog carcasses for disposal while trying to sell the young frogs earlier than planned, 20 days ahead of schedule.

Phong said the pollution of Ông Ấu Canal has greatly affected frog farming. A large number of his frogs have died, resulting in a loss of over 50 per cent of production capacity.

He is currently suspending the pond and doesn’t plan to release a new batch of frogs.

Huỳnh Ngọc Nhuận, a resident in Mỹ Thọ Commune said he didn’t dare to irrigate his crops with water from the canal.

Huỳnh Ngọc Nhuận, a resident in Mỹ Thọ Commune, Cao Lãnh District, Đồng Tháp Province points to the contaminated water from Ông Ấu Canal.

Previously, local residents used water from the canal for their daily activities, which helped reduce a portion of their monthly water expenses. Now they rely on tap water, he said.

Nhuận said he hoped local authorities and relevant agencies would promptly intervene and address the pollution issue in Ông Ấu Canal.

Currently, Ông Ấu Canal is serving as an irrigation source for nearly 100 hectares of farmland, fruit orchards, and fish and frog ponds.

According to local residents, the more it rains, the more polluted the water becomes.

The canal is located near the Đập Đá landfill and a facility of the Tiến Phát Commercial One Member Limited Liability Company, which specialises in industrial waste, medical waste, and hazardous waste treatment.

Local residents claimed that the water pollution might be caused by a water leakage from the company's facility.

Võ Thị Dung, resident in Mỹ Thọ Commune, complained that her rice crops have died after being sown on the 6,000 square-metre field adjacent to the company's facility.

She had to pay additional expenses for hiring labour to replant the crop.

During harvest, the rice grains were undersized and the overall yield was reduced, she said.

Recently, the People's Committee of Cao Lãnh District has asked the Office of Natural Resources and Environment and relevant units to establish an environmental inspection team to assess the pollution situation in Ông Ấu Canal.

Based on field surveys, the inspection team found signs of pollution from the water pump station to the area adjacent to Tiến Phát Company's facility, which was approximately 700 metres long.

However, at the time of the inspection, the authorities had not identified the source of the discharge into the canal.

The inspection team also discovered leakage of wastewater from the storage pit for mango husks at Tiến Phát Company, which directly affected Dung's rice crop.

The leaked water was black and emitted a foul odour, but the exact volume of wastewater could not be determined.

The company had pumped the leaked water back into the storage pit and subsequently transferred it to their wastewater treatment system.

The inspection team has urgently requested Tiến Phát Company to take measures to prevent the leakage and reinforce the embankment of the storage pit for mango husks, ensuring that wastewater and foul odors did not spread to the surrounding environment.

It has also required the company to review and rectify any potential points of wastewater leakage into the environment, ensure proper collection and treatment of wastewater in compliance with environmental standards.

Direct discharge of wastewater into the environment will be punished according to regulations, it said.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cao Lãnh District Huỳnh Thanh Sơn stated that the committee has repeatedly instructed the environmental inspection team to conduct verification and on-site inspections based on the feedback from local residents regarding Ông Ấu Canal’s pollution.

The committee has asked the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Police Department for Environmental Crime Prevention to provide assistance in resolving the pollution issue. – VNS