Illustrative image (Source: vnexpress.net) Shemade the remarks at the fourth meeting on protecting the environment at urbanand residential areas, and managing waste in the city on June 11.
Tamsaid it is necessary to intensify the communications work in order to raisepublic awareness of environmental protection, explaining that environmentalpollution in the city is caused by uncontrolled waste discharge as well asbottlenecks in waste collection, transportation and treatment.
Heropinions were echoed by other participating officials who proposed intensifyingpunishments against polluters and using treated waste water to water plants andclean streets as well as industrial machines and equipment.
Moreheed should be paid to the use of plastic bags which are the main source ofenvironmental pollution, they added.
LeVan Khoa, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said HCM City aimsto categorise half of the waste by 2020 and devise policies encouraging thepublic to join the work.
NguyenToan Thang, Director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment, said that Vietnam Solid Waste Treatment Co., Ltd, the owner of theDa Phuoc landfill in Binh Chanh district, was fined 1.5 billion VND (66,000USD) for causing environmental pollution.
Thecompany was also asked to use modern waste treatment technologies by 2020, headded.
Themunicipal Department of Natural Resources and Environmental reported that HCMCity discharged more than 8,300 tonnes of solid waste and 1.7 million cubic metreof waste water each day.
Thecity has tested the quality of surface water of the Sai Gon-Dong Nai River andinner canals as well as air quality of several areas. The testing results havebeen announced on public electric traffic boards as well as websites ofrelevant State agencies.-VNA
VNA
