HA NOI — Efforts are being made to reduce pollution caused by local production and business establishments in Ha Noi.

Of the 30 factories and industrial production units considered to be responsible for the majority of pollution, some have been moved out of residential areas over the last two years.

The Ba Nhat Chemical Enterprise was the first to be relocated, and since then, the Ba Nhat Company, To Chau Dye-works, Thuy Khue Shoe Company and Tran Hung Dao Mechanical Factory also have moved.

Dang Duong Binh, head of the environment management office based at the city’s Department of Science, Technology and Environment (DoSTE) said that this solution is part of on-going efforts to enforce the draft programme which has the authority to "severely punish those businesses and production establishments which cause heavy environmental pollution." The programme has already been piloted in some northern provinces in the Hong (Red) River Delta.

The municipal authorities have applied strict measures, which require businesses to deal with waste within a certain period of time and invest in new technology to dispose of using methods which are not detrimental to the environment. Implementation of this programme has become a high priority for local officials.

Attention will now turn to small industrial parks, small handicraft villages and the city as a whole.

The city has introduced a policy which will help to fund businesses to move out of the city.

In addition to the thirty establishments initially involved in the scheme, the DoSTE will inspect another 37 businesses whose output is damaging to the environment.

Binh confirmed that there has been no detailed assessment of the city’s major industrial producers until now and the Government is keen to see progress in this area.

The main aims of the programme will be;

–the introduction of inspection, and assessment of the pollution level caused by factories, enterprises, traditional craft villages, and rubbish-heaps,

–the strict regulation of pollution involving small-scale production units located in residential areas,

–the relocation of enterprises which are damaging their environment and are injurious to people’s health,

–the establishment of hygienic dumping sites, a common waste treatment system for industrial parks, stations city-wide to treat both dangerous solid waste and hospital waste,

–and the enforcing of regular inspections to assess wastes emissions from production establishments, especially those known to be harming the environment.

Binh added that the proposals will call for closer co-operation between the ministries of finance, trade, banking, tax, land administration, planning and investment, Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Construction, Health, and Industry."If these measures can be implemented, the benefits will be visible to everyone and the city will become a much more pleasant place to live," Binh stressed. — VNS

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