Description

Since August 2013, Hà Nội approved the project of Sơn Đồng wastewater treatment plant in Hoài Đước district with a total investment of 231 billion VNĐ and capacity of 8,000 m3/day. Once completed, this wastewater treatment plant is expected to handle wastewater generated from five communes including Sơn Đồng, Yên Sở, Đắc Sở, Tiền Yên, Đức Giang, and Trạm Trôi town. The project’s initial investor is the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment. The current investor is the city’s project management board for water supply, drainage, and environment.

The project has selected contractor(s) and started the construction in the 4th quarter of 2015. However, after many times of adjustments from 2019 to 2021, this project has not finished and it is still unknown when the wastewater treatment plant will be completed and operated. According to the observation from outside of the report of the online Magazine of Natural Resources and Environment under MONRE, it shows that the plant is incomplete and has signs of rust and degradation, and overgrowth of wild grass at the tightly closed entrance.

According to the current investor of the project, which was announced in June 2020, four reasons for the delay of this project include: (1) the adjustment of construction and installation process, (2) the technical requirement of automatic and continuous wastewater monitoring station according to Decree No. 40/NĐ-CP in 2019 which was issued after the project’s approval, (3) challenges in local land clearance, and (4) change of investor and lack of coordination.

Hà Nội is home to the largest number of craft villages in Vietnam and craft village pollution has long been a critical issue. The district of Hoài Đức district has over 50 craft villages, of which, 12 villages have been recognized as traditional craft villages. The commune Dương Liễu in the district is well-known for producing agricultural products such as arrowroot and cassava stark and vermicelli. Like many other craft villages in Hà Nội, the production wastewater is hardly or insufficiently treated, resulting in severe water pollution of the nearby Nhuệ and Đáy rivers.

Related article: Hà Nội controls craft villages’ environment and calls for investment

Sources & further information: “Nhà máy xử lý nước thải Sơn Đồng, Hà Nội “đắp chiếu”: Dân khốn khổ vì ô nhiễm” at https://baotainguyenmoitruong.vn, “Hanoi speeds up wastewater treatment project in Hoai Duc district” at http://hanoitimes.vn, “Vì sao các nhà máy xử lý nước thải ở Hoài Đức chưa thể hoàn thành?” at https://anninhthudo.vn, and “Đẩy nhanh tiến độ các dự án xử lý chất thải ở Hoài Đức” at https://nhipsonghanoi.hanoimoi.com.vn, accessed on 18 November 2021.