Industrial hub forced to get serious about rising waste

Home to 29 industrial zones (IZ), Dong Nai plays an important role in the nations economic and social development.

This has led them to develop a 10-year plan to build eight waste-treatment centres covering a total of 290ha, including two main "inter-district" facilities at Bau Can and Quang Trung communes covering 230ha.

Home to 29 industrial zones (IZ), Dong Nai plays an important role in the nations economic and social development.

But the province, which had the highest GDP in Viet Nam for the last 10 years – 15.1 per cent compared to the average of 8.5 per cent – has to admit that industrial growth is often at the expense of the environment, including the living standards of the people.

This also poses questions about the sustainability of production.

The amount of waste in the province has risen quickly in the last five years.

Head of the Dong Nai Natural Resources and Environment Department Le Viet Hung told the provincial Peoples Committee meeting recently that provincial garbage output was more than 1,160 tonnes a day.

In 2008 alone, an extra 31,755 tonnes of household garbage brought the total to 394,000 tonnes, while solid waste from industrial zones hit 456,480 tonnes.

However, only 71 per cent of industrial waste was collected and treated, while the rest was dumped untreated.

Environmental pollution

A lot of firms in the province have been found polluting the environment with untreated waste water and unfiltered smoke from chimneys.

"Dangerous waste mainly comes from enterprises that produce shoes, electrical and electronic goods, herbicides and pesticides, mechanics, chemicals and construction materials," said head of the Dong Nai Industrial Zone Authority Vo Thanh Lap.

The province is pinning its industrial and environmental future on the two new waste centres. At Bau Can, 100ha has been set aside to deal with waste from Long Thanh and Nhon Trach districts. The Quang Trung centre, on 130ha, will treat solid waste from Thong Nhat District, plus all the provinces industrial waste.

Project investor Sonadezi SDV will introduce advanced technologies that treat dangerous solid waste by burning. This will reduce the waste by 85 per cent, turning it into harmless waste. And 99 per cent of the toxic gases produced will also be destroyed.

"We have been working hard to put the project into operation this year and hope it will solve the provinces waste problem," said a spokesman from Sonadezi.

(Source: VNS)