Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Polluting glass workshops distress HCMC residents, bind officials

Monday, April 21, 2008

Polluting glass workshops distress HCMC residents, bind officials

Residents of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 11 have long endured pollution from glass workshops and the local administration has failed to rectify the situation despite repeated complaints, according to a local newspaper.
Noise and fumes produced by the twelve small glass factories in the district have plagued local people for over 30 years.
The district People’s Committee Vice Chairman Vuong Tai Phuoc said since the workshops are not listed among the plants required to be relocated, authorities can only inspect and fine them according to the regulations of the Environmental Law.
Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Ward 14 Quach Thi Mai said there used to be many workshops in the ward, but most of them had volunteered to move and only four remained in operation.
According to Mai, locals have complained many times about residual pollution but authorities cannot force the remaining workshops to move because no official mandate has been handed down and there isn’t a termination date for their business licenses.
B., who lives in the district’s Ward 14, said the furnaces from the adjacent Hung Phat workshop discharge vast quantities of smoke, dust, and heat that affect his house and other nearby residences.
He said he can hardly stand the sweltering heat and helping build facilities despite having built two walls 40-centimeter in width to shield his house.
“Vehicles also transport goods noisily day and night to the workshops, disturbing our peace,” B. added.
According to local people, most of them suffered ear, nose and throat afflictions due to the toxic emissions.
Some even died abruptly at middle-age due to unclear causes, the local newspaper reported.
Duong Cong Thanh, manager of Hung Phat, admitted to the newspaper that the workshop is aware of the pollution problem and has tried to mitigate its effects by dowsing the streets with water to dampen the heat and dust.
However, this action has been counterproductive since it causes the area to be flooded while failing to eradicate noxious fumes.

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.