ĐÀ NẴNG — Hundreds of households living along Khe Cạn Canal in central Đà Nẵng City have been complaining about the foul odour emitting from the polluted canal.

Khe Cạn Canal runs through Hoà An Commune of Cẩm Lệ District and Thanh Khê Tây Commune of Thanh Khê District. Only 1,500m of the canal runs into a sewer system. The remaining portion containing the black waste water and domestic waste does not have a sewer facility, exposing those living nearby to serious pollution hazards.

Nguyễn Hương, a resident living along Khe Cạn Canal, told dantri.com.vn that she had to keep her doors closed always to avoid the foul smell.

The smell is unbearable, she said.

Nguyễn Thị Hạnh, a resident living near Phú Lộc River, said the waste water ran through the canal to Phú Lộc River, polluting the river, especially during hot summer days when the river water dried up.

Hạnh said she used to run a street food stall earlier, but had to shut it down soon, as the smell had driven away her customers.

Phạm Văn Cường, another resident, said that massive fish deaths had occurred earlier. He said a large amount of mud and domestic waste had accumulated in the canal, and local authorities should work with authorised agencies to dredge the canal to reduce the pollution.

Mai Mã, director of the Đà Nẵng Wastewater and Drainage Company, said the company had set up a plan to clean the canal.

Specifically, the wastewater from the canal from Yên Thế, Bắc Sơn, Hồng Thái and Tân Trào roads would be collected and sent to Phú Lộc Wastewater Treatment Station to be treated, before discharging it into the environment.

The company will also implement measures such as building mineral deodorising tanks and installing automatic odour reducing machines to reduce the bad odour.

Hồng Vinh Hiển, deputy director of the managing board of the city’s infrastructure construction projects, said some 1,500m of sewer was built along Khe Cạn canal since August 2016. The remaining 500m stretch has not been completed due to slow site clearance and compensation for affected people.

Hiển said the project would be continued when the site clearance work is completed. As planned, the project will be finished by the end of this year, he added. — VNS