HÀ NỘI — Thousands of residents in Nguyên Khê Commune of Hà Nội’s Đông Anh District are living in ’fear’ due to serious environmental pollution caused by Nguyên Khê industrial complex, Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported.

The pollution reached a peak in late 2017 and early 2018 when discharged wastewater from the complex ran through the canal system of the Cà Lồ River into ponds and lakes of the commune, killing fish en mass.

Many local residents complained underground water also caused a bad smell and itchiness after use.

The canal taking wastewater from the industrial complex through the commune’s Đồng and Sơn Du hamlets is always filled with foul smelling black water, giving people headaches or dizziness when passing by.

Nguyễn Văn Th, a resident living near the industrial complex, told the newspaper that surrounding canals are full of wastewater from the complex and residents have to use polluted underground water for daily use.

Vice Chairman of the commune’s People’s Committee Nguyễn Phương Lợi confirmed that wastewater from the factories in the complex had negatively impacted the lives of local residents for years.

“The pollution of the water sources in the commune is at red alert now. Water pollution has affected agricultural production and people’s daily activities,” he said.

In August this year, the Đông Anh District’s People’s Committee affirmed environmental pollution, particularly water pollution, was a continual problem. Wastewater from the industrial complex is black, smells foul and many substances in the water were found to exceed permitted levels.

Industrial wastewater from the complex’s main treatment facility and from some factories in the complex was not properly treated, leading to the pollution, according to the committee.

The Nguyên Khê industrial complex was put into operation in 2005 with 37 factories.

Before 2017, it still did not have a wastewater treatment system and all wastewater was discharged into Gạch Bun Lake next to the industrial complex, which then flowed into Cà Lồ River.

The district’s People’s Committee confirmed that the Gạch Bun Lake was seriously polluted due to wastewater from the complex. 

In late 2017, the district’s People’s Committee requested the investor of the complex build a wastewater treatment system with a capacity of 1,000cu.m per day. All enterprises operating in the zone would have to connect with the wastewater treatment plant.

However, although most enterprises in the industrial complex have connected with the wastewater treatment system, water discharged from the complex is still polluted.

Tô Văn Chinh, who is in charge of managing the wastewater treatment plant of the complex, blamed the pollution on the discharge of wastewater by households and factories operating outside the complex.

However, Tiền Phong reported that black water from the complex was still flowing into the Gạch Bun Lake last week.

Responding to this situation, Nghiêm Thọ Thoan, an officer from Đông Anh District’s Natural Resources and Environment Sub-department, said black water had leaked from the wastewater treatment plant of the complex and the investor already fixed the leakage. — VNS