A woman uses tap water in Binh Tan district of HCM City (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’sauthorities plan to reduce the exploitation of groundwater from now to 2025 toprevent land subsidence and protect residents’ health.
Huynh Thanh Nha, head of the office of waterresource and minerals under the city’s Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment, said that over 700,000cu.metres of groundwater were beingexploited daily in the city. Half of the total serves households, while therest is for manufacturing activities.
Under the city’s plan, the total volume ofgroundwater exploitation would be reduced to 470,000cu.m this year; 330,000cu.ma day by 2019; 200,000cu.m a day in the 2020-23 period; and 100,000cu.m a dayby 2025, Nha said.
He said to implement the plan, the city’sauthorities will gradually reduce groundwater exploitation in 24districts, stop the operation of old and illegal water wells, and install tapwater systems in the areas where groundwater is exploited.
"The city will not issue new licences toexploit underground water, and will strictly punish violators," he said.
A list of locations where groundwaterexploitation could endanger local residents and the environment will becompiled, Nha said.
The department and district authorities willalso promote awareness about the damage caused by over-exploitation ofgroundwater resources and will call on residents and enterprises tostop using well water.
Protection measures and management solutionswill be identified to ensure sustainable water exploitation.
As many as 149 water samples collected fromwells in HCM City late last month showed concentrations of iron, pH, E.colibacteria and ammonia that failed to meet standards set by the Ministry ofHealth, according to a recent investigation carried out by the PreventiveHealth Centre.
Groundwater can be harmful to users’ healthbecause of dangerous chemicals or wastewater, the investigation noted.
All HCM City residents now have access to cleanwater, but many households for years have refused to use available tap water.
The city’s Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment has asked all districts to continue to promote public awarenessabout the use of groundwater resources.-VNS/VNA
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