Vietnam News Service reported that the ageing Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Zone in the southern province of Dong Nai will be converted into an urban trade and services area to help stop continued pollution of Dong Nai River with factory waste.

Mr Le Viet Binh deputy director of the Dong Nai Centre for Environmental Observations and Engineering said that the river, which runs through 12 provinces, is the main water supply for more than 10 million people living in the river basin and the people of HCM City. The contamination has risen to alarming levels after 30 or 40 years' pollution from many industrial zones along the Dong Nai River basin. More than 100 industrial zones in the basin discharge millions of cubic metres of waste water into the river each day.

According to the provincial People's Committee, during the next 10 years, 100 factories from Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Zone will be relocated.

The project, to cost VND 19.99 trillion, is being undertaken to stop waste water from the factories being discharged into Dong Nai River, The 320 hectares Bien Hoa 1 Industrial Zone, the first industrial zone in the southern part of Viet Nam, was established in 1963. However, it lacks an effective waste water treatment system. The existing system is described as outdated. The zone's waste water has, for years, been discharged directly into the river, creating serious pollution.

Mr Dinh Quoc Thai chairman of the provincial People's Committee said that "It's time to take action to protect the environment."

Under the project, more than 100 factories will be moved to Giang Dien Industrial Zone in Trang Bom District, and other industrial zones in the province, including Nhon Trach No 1, 2, 3, 4 and Ong Keo.

(Sourced from Vietnam News Service)