An overview of the Yên Xá wastewater treatment system. — Photo nhandan.vn

HÀ NỘI — After a long delay period, with strong political commitment and leadership from municipal leaders, the Yên Xá wastewater treatment system in Hà Nội has now begun trial operation.

Additionally, Hà Nội is determined to complete the project of pumping water from the Hồng (Red) River to the heavily polluted Tô Lịch River by September 2 next year to revive the "dead river" and improve the environment.

The Yên Xá wastewater treatment system aims to raise the standard of the living environment, natural ecosystem and sanitary conditions in the central urban areas of the Tô Lịch, Nhuệ and Lừ river basin by investing in the drainage system to collect and treat domestic wastewater, enhancing the capital’s sustainable development.

The project has been implemented since 2019.

It builds a wastewater treatment system in the basin area of about 4,874ha, including the Yên Xá wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 270,000 cu.m. per day and a sewer collection system along the two banks of Tô Lịch and Lừ rivers, Hà Đông District and new urban areas, with a total length of about 41.362km, diameter from 400mm-2,400mm.

Since its start, the project has encountered many difficulties.

Thanks to the oversight from the municipal Party Committee, People's Committee and the participation of departments, all obstacles and problems have been resolved.

Up to now, the construction of the Yên Xá Wastewater Treatment Plant has been completed, and it was put into trial operation from the beginning of this month according to the approved environmental license.

Besides, the construction package of the sewer system for the Tô Lịch River was completed by about 98 per cent and all items are expected to be completed within this month.

Regarding the construction package of the sewer system for the Lừ River, because the contractor's capacity did not meet the requirements, the city has resolutely terminated the contract since November last year.

It is completing dossier to submit to the Prime Minister for approval the adjusting capital sources from official development assistance (ODA) to the city budget to ensure progress.

Building work for the sewer system for a part of the Hà Đông District and the new urban area has resumed since February this year and has completed about 22 per cent of the work volume, striving to complete next year.

According to the Investment Projects for Construction of Technical Infrastructure and Agriculture Management Board, to ensure the long-term stability of the plant's operations as well as the general sludge treatment in the city, the unit proposed that the municipal People's Committee consider directing concerned agencies to build a drainage waste dump in Chương Dương Commune, Thường Tín District.

Hà Nội's leaders inspected the Yên Xá wastewater treatment plant on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo

Hà Nội is studying to supplement water from the Red River to West Lake and from West Lake to Tô Lịch River through separate pipelines to clear up Tô Lịch River.

Director of the Hà Nội's Department of Construction Võ Nguyên Phong said that the department was establishing a pre-feasibility project for a sludge recycling project, located in Chương Dương Commune with a scale of about 8-9ha, a processing capacity of 1,500 tonnes, strive to reach 3,000 tonnes per day.

The plant will use the most advanced, environmentally friendly technology, and the treated sludge can be used in other fields such as construction aggregates, cement processing and fertiliser.

As for pumping water from West Lake into Tô Lịch River, the unit is working with the Department of Planning and Investment to research and carefully calculate to ensure technical requirements in the shortest procedural order for early implementation.

After checking the progress of the Yên Xá wastewater treatment system and solutions to clean up the Tô Lịch River, Chairman of the Hà Nội People's Committee Trần Sỹ Thanh on Monday directed units to focus on the construction package of the sewer system for the Lừ River, part of Hà Đông District and new urban areas.

The chairman noted that units must calculate plans to ensure the West Lake ecosystem. Along with that, departments and districts must take drastic action to carry out comprehensive and synchronous environmental treatment of inner-city rivers, improving the environmental quality. — VNS