Mekong Delta provinces are implementing measures to tackle the issue of water pollution, according to the Steering Committee for the South-Western Region.

Special attention is being paid to constructing sewage treatment facilities and environmental early warning systems at industrial parks, whilst making environmental assessment reports a legal requirement for all investment projects.

Raising public awareness on environmental protection, improving irrigation systems for aquaculture, and preventing chemical leaching are also amongst the set of measures to be adopted.

Authorities in An Giang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces and Can Tho city plan to construct 13 waste water treatment plants by 2016, capable of treating 188,000m3 of household waste water per day.

From 2016 onwards, 17 industrial sewage treatment plants will be constructed, with a capacity of 240,000m3 per day, including 11 facilities in Can Tho, where similar projects are already under construction at Thot Not and Tra Noc industrial parks.

Starting this year, drainage systems will be rebuilt in urban areas, while biogas tanks will be constructed in rural areas to reduce environmental contamination.

According to the south-western Department of Environmental Protection, waste water contains toxic substances, mainly discharged from industrial parks, urban households, and agriculture.

The authority calculates that the total amount of waste water would increase to 1.4 million m3 per day by 2020, with households being the main culprits, especially in Can Tho.-VNA