Polluted river flows through residential area
Recently, Lao Dong Newspaper received feedback from people in Dong Son commune (Dong Hung district, Thai Binh province) about the situation of River 217 being polluted; scum appearing; the river water turning moss green, black in some sections and containing garbage.
River 217 (next to the DH55 inter-district road), passing through Dong Son commune, is more than 2km long and flows through neighboring communes such as Dong Phuong commune (Dong Hung district), Dong Hai commune (Quynh Phu district),... According to local people, River 217 has long been a river serving production and drainage. However, in the past few years, this river has been seriously polluted.
The river area between Dong village bridge (Dong Son commune) and Thai Binh city road - Nghen bridge was covered to serve the construction, the river water turned black, scum and gave off a foul smell.
Mr. Dao Van Tuan (name changed), who lives next to the polluted river, said: "For many years now, this section of the river has been polluted. We, the people living next to the river, have suffered a lot, especially on days when the river water is low and the weather is hot. The smell from the river makes people suffocate and feel extremely uncomfortable. Flies and mosquitoes from the river flood into people's houses. Sometimes we don't dare open our doors. People have complained many times but so far there has been no solution."
Also living near a polluted river, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuoi (name changed) could not help but feel indignant. Ms. Tuoi said: "The water in this river changes periodically. There are times when the river water is black and smells bad."
Many years of not being able to handle pollution
Faced with the situation of River 217 passing through Dong Son commune (Dong Hung district) being polluted for many years without being thoroughly treated, households living along both sides of River 217 through Dong Son commune have joined hands to organize periodic garbage cleanup.
"At this time, the river water flowing through the residential area where we live is less polluted, so people take advantage of the opportunity to clean up trash on the river surface. On November 20 and 21, we cleaned up a lot of trash and duckweed to reduce pollution," said Ms. Man (a resident of Dong Son commune).
Regarding the people's reflection, Mr. Nguyen Cong Thinh - Chairman of Dong Son Commune People's Committee (Dong Hung District) - said: "The local government has grasped the pollution of River 217 flowing through the commune and proposed to relevant parties to find a solution. It is worth mentioning that River 217 has not been dredged for more than 15 years, so it has also affected the pollution for many years. In addition, the construction of the Thai Binh City - Nghen Bridge route had to build a dam, only concrete culverts for water to flow through, which affected the flow. Previously, a plastic factory discharged water into the river and white foam appeared on the river surface. The local government reported to the district authorities for inspection and handling."
