Company » Black company
Apartment builders skip waste treatment for profit
(14:39:26 PM 13/02/2015)
Entry gate to Ciputra apartment complex
Hanoi Environmental Police confirmed waste water from Ciputra, a modern apartment complex developed by Indonesia's Ciputra Group, was not treated.
Captain Le Quang Minh, from Hanoi Environmental Police, said Ciputra's investors tried to delay the construction of a waste treatment system, claiming it had encountered problems securing land used by the village as a cemetery for the task.
"We can only fine the investors for discharging into the environment," Minh said. "The situation hasn't gotten better for many years."
Le Van Duc, director of the Hanoi Department of Construction, said the city has more than 150 apartment complexes grouping thousands of buildings, but few have waste treatment systems.
He said investors saw no value in building treatment systems that did not generate additional income, while Vietnam lacks any regulatory clout to punish violators. The fine of VND2bn (USD95,200) for enterprises and VND1bn for individuals are considered too light. But a lack of inspectors and necessary testing equipment meant only a few cases were being pursued.
In 2012, residents in Ciputra complained that water from building sewers and toilets was overflowing in their apartments.
"We paid a high prices for the apartments and a VND10m service fee," one Ciputra resident said. "It's unacceptable that investors can't build a waste water treatment system. This has affected the lives of the complex's residents and people living nearby."
A leader of Song Da-Thang Long JSC., a major investor in the Van Khe apartment complex in Ha Dong District, said the development did not have a waste treatment system because the technology and equipment was expensive.
Experts say 40 percent of the city's water is sourced from groundwater, and untreated waste discharged from apartment complexes creates a worsening pollution problem.
"Investors should include the environmental price when they sell the apartments," said Tran Hieu Nhue, head of the Institute for Water Engineering and Environmental Technology.
"The waste water may not have immediate effect, but it will lead to severe consequences," Nhue said. "In the worst case, the waste water is being directly discharged into the environment and contaminates groundwater."
You may also be interested in:
-
HCMC not extend removal deadline to polluting firms
-
Sugar refinery’s waste-water discharge pollutes Lam River
-
Vung Tau’s restaurant suspended for stealing from foreign diner
-
Uong River turns black after oil spill from Uong Bi thermopower plant
-
Leather firm asks for permission to pay fines by instalments
-
Small hydropower plants bring low profits, huge environmental damage
-
Firms continue to pollute despite fines and penalties
-
Hao Duong hit with record fine for polluting environment
-
More cassava processing plants under construction
Recent Posts:
- USAID Launches New Public Service Announcements to Tackle Rhino Horn Consumption (19/12/2019)
- Youth for Climate Cycling Event (within the framework of European Climate Diplomacy Week 2019) (28/09/2019)
- VIETNAM: New Study Offers Pathways To Climate-Smart Transport (17/09/2019)
- USAID works alongside Viet Nam’s National Assembly on effective wildlife conservation through demand reduction (26/07/2019)
- Winners of TRAFFIC’s sustainable traditional medicine competition announced (22/06/2019)
- Hanoi mobilizes resources to improve the city’s air quality (28/11/2018)
- Accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement in Viet Nam through joint national and international efforts (07/11/2018)
- USAID Promotes Chi Initiative to Drive Down Demand for Rhino Horn (28/08/2018)
- Siemens supplies equipment for Vietnam’s largest solar farm (14/07/2018)
- Members of Vietnamese and German companies take pledge against wildlife crime (30/06/2018)

Japan to export Hida beef to Vietnam
(Tinmoitruong.vn) - Hida beef, produced from black-haired Japanese cattle, will be transported to Viet Nam in 2016.
Viet Nam-German Businesses take lead in promoting sustainable development in Industry 4.0
(Tinmoitruong.vn) - Hanoi, 6th December 2017- Leading CEOs from Vietnamese and German businesses have taken a strong stand promoting sustainable development through responsible use of natural resources in the Forum “Beyond APEC 2017 – Sustainable development opportunities for corporate sector” held today in Hanoi.

HCM City one of the world’s 10 cities with fastest tourism development
(Tinmoitruong.vn) - In the MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities, HCM City ranks 10th of 132 cities worldwide.