Having been attached to the Nhue River for more than half his life, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Nham (Kien Hung ward, Hanoi) has witnessed every change in the river. The clear blue water once associated with the childhood and livelihoods of the people is now only in memory. "Every time it's hot or after rains, the smell from the river and garbage along the bank rises strongly. My family often has to close the doors because the stench rushes into the house, eating or resting is also not comfortable" - Mr. Nham shared.
Not only Mr. Nham's family, many households living along the river route are also being affected by prolonged pollution. River water changes color, thick mud settles, garbage appears in many sections, while the riverbed is silted up, the flow is narrowed, reducing the landscape and living environment.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga (Dai Thanh commune, Hanoi) said that the pollution situation has lasted for more than ten years: "The stench rises regularly, especially in the summer, affecting people's lives and health.
The Nhue River is one of the important river routes of the Red River system, flowing through Hanoi City and Ninh Binh province. However, for many years, this river has become a hotspot for environmental pollution in the basin.
According to the environmental load-bearing capacity assessment of the surface water of the Nhue River conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in the 5 river sections assessed, 4 sections are fully load-bearing for all four parameters COD, BOD, T-N and T-P; the remaining section is also fully load-bearing for the three parameters COD, BOD and T-N.
The issue of water source pollution is now not only limited to administrative boundaries but has inter-connectivity throughout the river system. Therefore, strengthening inter-provincial coordination mechanisms in wastewater management and implementing synchronous solutions is an urgent requirement to gradually revive the Nhue River.
Starting from that requirement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the People's Committees of localities in the Capital Region including: Hanoi, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen and Ninh Binh have signed the Regulation on coordination in environmental protection in the Capital Region. This is an important step to establish an inter-sectoral and inter-local coordination mechanism in environmental management, especially for inter-regional issues such as water pollution, waste management, drainage and environmental incident response.
According to Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Ha - former Director of the Institute for Water Supply and Drainage and Environment Research, the new point of the regulation is to shift from administrative boundaries-based management thinking to basin-based and regional-scale management. Localities will not only share data but also coordinate in policy development, implement solutions to control waste sources, protect water resources and respond to interconnected environmental challenges.
To make the regulation effective, localities need to soon build a common environmental database, synchronize monitoring systems and share water quality data. At the same time, strengthen control of cross-border wastewater sources, coordinate to replenish water sources and restore flow for key river routes.
