The last two days have seen masses of dead fish floating on the Se Re Pok River in Buon Ma Thuot town of Dak Lak Province and in Cu Jut District in the neighboring province of Dak Nong.
According to local residents, the fish have died due to contamination from untreated wastewater flowing from a sugar plant and other production units based near the river.
The sugar plant is located in Tam Thang Industrial Zone (IZ) in Dak Nong and has a capacity to process 1,500 tons of sugarcane per day.
Over the last ten years, forests on either side of the river have been cleared for agricultural cultivation. Besides, some production units processing agricultural produce and construction material factories have been dumping sewage into the river.
Hoa Phu IZ in Buon Me Thuot town had begun operations on the right bank of the Se Re Pok River. However, the zone management has yet to build a system to treat wastewater released from its steel factories and coffee processing plants.
Facing Hoa Phu IZ on the other side of the river is Tam Thang IZ in Cu Jut District of Dak Nong Province. Several plants in the IZ, operating for 10 years, daily release sewage into the Se Re Pok River.
People of the Hoa Phu Commune said that the river pollution has affected both fishing and farming in the area. Many who earlier lived on fishing have become jobless or have had to find other ways to earn their bread.
