We returned to Tan Quoi Hamlet, Quoi An Commune, Vinh Long Province, the area around Mr. Nguyen Van Hai's rice xay factory - after nearly 3 months since people reported the pollution, the ashes and dust are still as dense as before.
The layers of fine dust still cling white to the roofs, dry yards, clothes and even household items, disrupting the lives of the people here.
Mr. Ngo Van Trong, a resident living next to the factory, said that residents have repeatedly reported it, but the situation has not been resolved.
The last time, the factory promised the authorities and the press that it would thoroughly handle the ashes before September 30, but now that it is almost mid-October, the ashes are still flying everywhere.
"The factory has given us more than 10 days to fix it, but there has been no improvement. If the situation remains the same, people will go directly to higher authorities to protect their rights, said Mr. Trong.
Not only are they upset, but the people here also have to live with pollution every day. Ms. Vo Thi Tuyet said that her children and grandchildren had been playing for less than a day and were itchy and burning their necks because of the bran from the factory.
"If we do not completely fix it by mid-November, we will go directly to a higher level agency with expertise, because we have reported it to the commune level many times but have not yet been properly handled," Ms. Tuyet added.
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Nguyen Quang Khiem - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quoi An commune - said that the local government has twice coordinated with relevant agencies to inspect and remind the factory owner about the pollution situation.
The locality has coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Environment to inspect. The factory has overcome the problem, but not completely. Recently, people continue to be upset, but the commune has not received any direct feedback.
"Through the reflection of Lao Dong Newspaper, we will conduct an on-site inspection this week (October 13 - 17) to grasp the situation and record the opinions of the people. If the incident exceeds the local handling capacity, the commune will report to the superiors to take measures to stop it, not allowing the ash and dust situation to continue to affect the lives and health of the people," Mr. Khiem added.
