The Thi Vai River is virtually “dead”, suffocated by nearly 94 million liters of toxic wastewater every day from industrial parks in Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, according to an environment ministry’s report.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said Wednesday it had completed the report evaluating the impacts on farmers of pollution caused by industrial firms, including monosodium glutamate (MSG) maker Vedan, which dumped untreated wastewater into the Thi Vai River.

The evaluation was conducted by researchers from the Institute of Environment and Resources and concerned agencies basing on polluting elements in the river that caused harmful effects on farmers in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces.

Researchers also found high contamination of organic polluting substances in seven kilometers upstream the 76-kilometer river. Concentration of other polluting elements is also up to eight times the allowed levels in several places.

This made the river water unusable for irrigation, the report said.

Bui Cach Tuyen, head of the Vietnam Environment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and

Environment, said the evaluation report focused on the range of impacts along the river, consequences of the discharge of untreated wastewater and responsibility of the polluters.

He said the evaluation report will be officially announced in coming weeks, adding that more detailed evaluation of impacts would be made by local authorities.

Last week, the Dong Nai Department of Natural Resources and Environment said Vedan Vietnam has paid its pollution fine and part of the environmental protection fee of more than a hundred billion dong.

The Taiwanese invested firm has paid up its fine of more than VND267 million (US$15,000) and more than VND111 billion ($6.2 million) of the VND127-billion environment protection fee, the department said.

However, the department didn’t comment on compensation that affected farmers have demanded from Vedan.

In September, Vedan rejected the latest compensation request of VND569 billion ($31.7 million) from farmers affected by its pollution of the environment, saying it needed more evidence and that it cannot afford such large sums.

Farmers in Dong Nai, where the MSG maker factory is located, had asked for more than VND120 billion ($6.5 million), while those in HCMC and Ba Ria-Vung Tau put in requests of VND135.5 billion and VND296 billion respectively.

The associations said the damage reported by local farmers through 11,000 petitions was nearly VND1.23 trillion ($67 million), but they have agreed to demand VND569 billion first.

Investigations last September found Vedan had illegally dumped up to 105.6 million liters of untreated wastewater per month for the previous 14 years, killing farmers’ fish and shrimp ponds and ruining farmland along the banks of the river.

Source: Thanh Nien, Agencies