Measures set up for water discharge control and treatment

The Ministry affirmed it will apply both financial methods and policy mechanisms to control, treat and reuse waste water safely and effectively. Meanwhile, the responsibility of those releasing waste water was also emphasised.

One of the reasons waste water is being discharged directly into the environment without treatment is that sanctions are not strict enough. In most of the cases, offenders only have to pay a small fee compared to the investment needed for a standard waste water treatment system.

"For enterprises with waste water volumes of at least 200 cubic meters, the ministry will carry out close inspections. And of course, they must pay fees if their operations affect the environment", Chu Pham Ngoc Hien - Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment - said.

In addition, according to experts, there should be other measures to protect the water resources in rivers based on basin scale instead of basing it on each province, as is the case currently.

"If people in Hanoi pollute the river, Hà Nam province will be affected. That's why I think, in such cases, both localities should cooperate to deal with the problem", Prof. Dr. Pham Sy Liem - Vice President of Federation of Civil Engineering Associations - said.

This year, all firms with large volumes of water discharge must install automatic monitoring equipment. The equipment will be connected with the monitoring system of the local department of natural resources and environment to control water discharge and prevent pollution.