Cau Bay canal in Hanoi's Gia Lam district is dredged. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - More than 3,000 cu.m ofuntreated wastewater is released into Hanoi’s Cau Bay canal through 26discharge points daily.
The 13-km-long canal that runs through two districts of LongBien and Gia Lam in Hanoi has become so polluted that people living along theriver could not use its water for irrigation. Concerns have been raised overthe bad odour, as well as fear the polluted river could affect undergroundwater sources, threatening their health.
After crossing the two districts, the canal connects withBac Hung Hai irrigation system which provides water for about 135,00ha of cropsand controlled flooding for 185,000ha of cultivation area in three northernprovinces of Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, as well as parts of Hanoi.
In the western part of the city, Nhue River receiveswastewater from residential and commercial units in the districts of Bac Tu Liem,Ha Dong, Thanh Tri, Thanh Oai and Thuong Tin.
In January and February this year, researchers from theInstitute of Water Resources Planning examined 23 locations along the NhueRiver irrigation system, from which people usually take water for farming.
Test results reveal that samples taken from just threelocations in January are able to be used for farming, while those taken at theother 20 are not.
February’s results reveal that river water at six locationsare suitable for farming while the other 17 locations are not.
Trinh Xuan Hoang, head of the institute’s Division for WaterQuality and Environment Management Laboratory and Consultancy said that thewater quality of the Nhue River and other rivers in Hanoi did not qualify foragricultural or aquaculture production.
The water had low DO [Dissolved Oxygen is the amount ofgaseous oxygen dissolved in the water] and excessive concentration of NH4 andColiform bacteria, Hoang said. According to the city’s department ofAgriculture and Rural Development, untreated wastewater is released into thecity’s irrigation system through 997 discharge points, which pollute the waterresources provided for the city’s agricultural production.
Despite the fact authorities identified the dischargepoints, they found it difficult to crack down on cases, as whole residentialgroups discharge untreated wastewater.
Vice director of the department, Pham Van Khuong, said thecity implemented measures to ensure water for farming and protect theenvironment. For example, it regularly operated eight wastewater treatmentplants with total capacity of 304,800 cu.m per day.
The city was speeding up the construction of other plantslike Yen Xa, Phu Do, Van Canh, Thanh Thuy and Phung Xa with total capacity of474,500 cu.m per day as well as building a pumping station to transfer waterfrom Hong (Red) River to purify the polluted Nhue River.
Khuong said that it was also important to tighteninspections and strictly punish violators who discharge untreated wastewater.
Earlier this month, the agriculture department askedpeople’s committees of districts, wards and communes across the city toco-operate with irrigation firms in detecting and punishing individuals andorganisations who discharge untreated wastewater into irrigation systemsincluding rivers and canals.
They also asked to improve communication and raise publicawareness about environmental protection, especially water resources.
Hanoi’s irrigation system includes over 1,600 canals with atotal length of nearly 13,000 km, thousands of sewers, 18 reservoirs with totalcapacity of 203 million cu.m. The system provides water for a cultivation areaof 281,600 ha and control floods for an area of 477,000 ha.-VNS/VNA
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