National Assembly (NA) deputies questioned the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha about the long-lasting serious environmental pollution and asked for the solutions on the first day of the Q&A session October 30 at the NA’s on-going sitting.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha. Photo: VNA
|
Minister Ha added that a master plan is needed for solving pollution in river basins, including the Nhue and Day rivers, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will strive to clean these rivers after five years.
The minister also urged local administrations to conduct surveys on sources of waste discharge and select suitable models for treatment in the direction of mobilizing investment from all economic sectors.
Besides, it is necessary to clarify the government’s responsibilities for infrastructure investment and identify enterprises’ technology and capacity in waste treatment, Ha stressed.
He added that the mechanism for for calculating waste treatment costs also needs to be revised.
According to the minister, the existing models must be associated with specific responsibilities of localities to solve the pollution issue in the time ahead.
In response to deputy Nguyen Truong Giang’s question about solutions to pollution at industrial parks and clusters and craft villages, Minister Tran Hong Ha affirmed that his ministry has identified types of environmental pollution at those facilities.
Particularly for industrial zones, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has set the requirements for concentrated waste water treatment. At present, more than 80% of industrial zones have invested in infrastructure system, of which more than 10% installed automatic monitoring system, Ha added.
However, the problem at industrial clusters remains a headache due to limited human resources and investment in waste treatment, he noted.
The minister also noted that the management of industrial clusters should be intensified, because many production facilities have used backward technology and equipment for environmental treatment.
Ha emphasized that in the coming time, his ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will conduct more inspections and checks with a view to revising environmental standards and criteria for industrial clusters and craft villages.
